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The last time Brandon Glass entered EagleBank Arena, he was graduating from high school. Later this month, the Springfield native will return to the Fairfax venue with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.
Glass, a graduate of what was then Robert E. Lee High School and is now John R. Lewis High School, serves as the circus’s touring public relations manager.
“I’m so excited to be here with a show,” Glass said.
His path to the circus began with an unexpected blend of music, athletics, accessibility and performance. A self-described “band nerd,” Glass played trumpet in his high school marching band. After watching another trumpeter perform gymnastic moves, he and his friends became interested in parkour.
A visit to Disney World also introduced him to sign language interpretation in live entertainment. Seeing an interpreter make a performance accessible showed Glass how that work could remain part of the performing arts while serving a broader audience.
Glass later interpreted Broadway productions including “Wicked” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” He also performed as Iron Man and worked as an understudy for Black Panther in Marvel Universe Live!.
While touring with the Marvel production, Glass began helping its tour coordinator arrange interviews and discovered an aptitude for public relations. When the show ended, he was invited to handle PR for Ringling.
A year later, he is helping the circus reach a new generation as it rebuilds its identity.
Ringling returned in 2023 after a six-year hiatus that began in 2017. Before suspending performances, the production had faced falling ticket sales, high operating expenses and years of controversy surrounding its treatment of animals and other practices.
The revived show combines updated versions of traditional circus attractions, including an elaborate trapeze act, with newer entertainment. Glass said the challenge is preserving familiar features such as the high wire while offering enough variety to attract people who have never experienced a circus.
That effort extends beyond the arena. Performers have taken their acts into the community and demonstrated their skills for children, whose reactions Glass described as immediate and enthusiastic.
“The jaws are on the floor,” Glass said. “It’s funny to see them do [warm-up exercises] at community events and the kids just lose their minds.”
The reworked production also features BMX acts and more opportunities for audience participation, including a song performed with the crowd. Animals are no longer part of the show, and Glass said most responses to that change have been positive after an initial adjustment.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is scheduled to perform at EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle in Fairfax, from March 28 through April 6. Tickets vary by performance and range from $15 to $20.