CINCINNATI -- Paul Miller still remembers schools and banks closing when the circus came to town.
"The first time people would see the light bulbs or an automobile ... or any of the animals … when the circus came to town -- everything stopped," Miller said.
And Miller would know better than anyone. At just 21 years old, he dropped out of college to join the Ringling Brothers’ Greatest Show on Earth.
But now, after entertaining the country for over a century, the show will not go on. Feld Entertainment announced Saturday the Ringling Bros. Circus will perform its last show in May, citing declining attendance, high operating costs and prolonged battles with animal rights groups for closing.
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Miller said the closure will be especially difficult for current employees.
"It's terrible for the people who lost their jobs … and they're nomadic,” Miller said. “A lot of them don't have (other) jobs."
Miller’s early experience with the circus led him to open his own school, Circus Mojo.
The school, located in Ludlow, works to bring the magic of the circus to the community through education and entertainment.
"If you want to be in the circus, you can make circus happen … the show must go on, and that's what they say and that will continue,” Miller said.
