SAN JOSÉ, CA—Once again, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus arrives at the SAP Center, with an "Out of this World" family spectacle and tenor JONATHAN LEE IVERSON, called the “Voice of Ringling,” as Ring Master. Through the lens of a “Magic telescope”, IVERSONN (see photo below of him and his son as "Young Ring master) will transport, the audience, vicariously, in their Circus Space Fleet and make them part of their inter-galactic heroic mission against TATIANA, (the Intergalactic Queen of the Circus) and DAVIS VASSALLO (her clumsy assistant) to rescue the most talented circus artists and return them back to earth. Without leaving our seats, the “Out of The World” spectacle will take us into space.
He started working with RINGLING as Ring Master when he was only 22 years old which made him the “Youngest Ring Master” That RINGLING has ever hired. “Traditionally,” he said going into history, “The Ring Master” was the Equestrian Director,” (The person who trained the horses) The name Equestrian, deriving for “Equino”, which is the scientific name for horse. Eques, the origin of the name is Latin, and came to us from the name of the “Equestrian Order” as the Roman called the regiment of soldiers (knights)
who fought (during 753 to 509 B.C.) riding horses. If you look at the clothing of the Ring Master, you will notice that it is similar to the clothing worn by the soldier of the regiment of the Equestrian Order. The old “Ring Masters had a great importance in the Circuses and they worked many different jobs: such as Administrators, Casting Directors, and Directors, to name a few. Today, the job is different." The “Ring Masters” in today's circuses are artists. JONATHAN LEE IVERSON is a singer, a dancer and the Circus “voice” as he talks and sings using his beautiful "Lyric Tenor" timbre of voice. He learned to sing as a child. “When I was 11 years old," he told us, "I joined the world-famous “Boys Choir” in Harlem in New York. I learned all types of music, (Classical and Pop) with and got to travel all over the world with them, which give me opportunity to meet many great artists among them:MICHAEL JACKSON, STEVIE WONDER, and LENA HORN. I even had a chance to sing with tenor PLACIDO DOMINGO. Later, I studied and graduated from Hartt, singing school at Hartford University. “ “I wanted to be an Opera Singer, so I started working at a Dinner Theatre in a restaurant to get enough money to allow me to go to Europe and pay a good teacher, But singing at a Dinner, I discovered that it owner was also a Director in Ringling Bros. and that the Circus was looking for a singer to serve as Ring Master. I accepted the position
in "OUT OF THIS WORLD" once again in his role as Ring Master, JONATHAN LEE IVERSON, who was the first Afro-American Ring Master of RINGLING , and the youngest the circus ever hired, is going to take the audience to the galaxies. On this tour, “The Greatest Show on Earth.” is also going to show the audience their own stars: The Family of Astronauts Simet, in an spatial tour in which three astronauts defy zero gravity inside a moving sphere of light. The Troop of Acrobats from Heilongjiang, for the first time in the United States who will show us their mastery in the Chinese Acrobacy by building a human pyramid of 11 people. The Free Style Skaters group of Ice skater who skate in a new form which is a mixture of Classic ice skating and acrobats. And to keep us laughing DAVIS VASALLO, the clown, will shock us in an act he performs at 47 feet high above our heads.
RINGLING BROS. and BARNUM & BAILEY "OUT OF THIS WORLD will play in San Jose until September 5th. Tickets may be purchased at the SAP CENTER, or ordered online at SAPCenterbox-officetickets.com or by calling (855) 355-7309. |
In a previous interview with CULTURAL WORLD BILINGUAL in 2010, when JONATHAN LEE IVERSON came to San José as Ring Master of BARNUM’s FUNDRUM, he described the Ring Master's job as ““Considered the highest in any Circus.” 
“Looking back, I consider that my youth was rich,not in money, but in love, and specially in people who knew how to guide me. I got excellent teachers and a mother who was always with me. I could have never been able to succeed without all the help I got growing up. " 