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Cole Bros. circus pitching its tent in Midland Beach

Published: Thursday, July 15, 2010, Jodi Lee Reifer
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Elephants and donkeys of the political variety aren’t the only animals in town this summer.Cole Bros. Circus returns to Midland Beach next week, and it’s cramming more creatures under the Big Top than it has in years.
The 126th edition delivers five elephants, two camels, two zebras, two miniature horses, 11 ponies, 10 dogs, seven tigers and one liger (a lion/tiger half-breed), along with traditional clowns, trapeze artists and a human cannonball. (Photo courtesy of Cole Bros. Circus)The 126th edition delivers five elephants, two camels, two zebras, two miniature horses, 11 ponies, 10 dogs, seven tigers and one liger (a lion/tiger half-breed), along with traditional clowns, trapeze artists and a human cannonball.

Cole Bros. Circus returns to Midland Beach next week. The 126th edition delivers five elephants, two camels, two zebras, two miniature horses, 11 ponies, 10 dogs, seven tigers and one liger (a lion/tiger half-breed), along with traditional clowns, trapeze artists and a human cannonball. (Photo courtesy of Cole Bros. Circus)
“There’s something about live entertainment,” says ringmaster Christopher Connors. “No strings attached. No computer effects whatsoever. The kids get to see the elephants up-close. They see the trapeze right above their heads.”
Cole Bros. pitches its mustard and ketchup-colored tent daily, Monday through July 25, in Midland Beach Park, 1110 Father Capodanno Blvd. Showtimes are 5 and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 2, 5 and 8 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets, at $17 for adults and $12 for children and seniors, are on sale at S & L Children’s Design in the Staten Island Mall, at www.tickets.com and on show days on the midway. Reserved tickets can be had for $3 more. Free children’s tickets are available at www.freekidstickets.com.
For more information, visit www.gotocircus.com or call 800-796-5672.

The biggest show-stealer is probably a 4-year-old baby elephant named Val, above, with elephant trainer Tim Frisco. (Photo courtesy of Paul Gutheil)
Cole Bros. settles into Aviator Sports and Recreation in Brooklyn,
July 26-Aug. 1.
Among the new acts are: “Angels in the Air,” featuring the three Flying Ponces sisters, the youngest of whom is 14, and their father on the trapeze; and “Free Style Motor Show,” with ATV riders who jump off ramps and flip 360 degrees. Returning to the Big Top is a dog-and-pony show. Third-generation circus performer Jennifer Walker trains pooches to jump through hoops and ride the back of a pony. One “super dog,” wearing a cape, jumps off a ladder into her arms.
But the biggest show-stealer is probably a 4-year-old baby elephant named Val. She and 3-year-old Halley Frisco skip around the ring. The little girl is the daughter of elephant trainer Tim Frisco.
While animal rights advocates and groups such as New York League of Humane Voters contend circus animals are mistreated and suffer emotional distress, circus officials maintain the creatures enjoy the work they do.
“These are animals bred in captivity. It’s not like they’ve known anything else,” says Rodney West, marketing director of Cole Bros. Circus.
City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez (D-Manhattan) first sponsored a bill four years that seeks to ban the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement. She re-introduced it this past February, but it hasn’t moved through the approval process.