THE BALLOON MAN

For Kenneth Feld, the 141st edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus embraces a new generation

Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertain­ment, poses with his three daughters, from left, Juliette, Alana and Nicole Feld, and Asia, a 42-year-old female Asian elephant.
By Mark Albright, Times Staff Writer December 28, 2010
When the ringmaster announces that "Nicole and Alana Feld are proud to present the 141st edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus," the audience may miss the meaning.
It's a changing of the guard of sorts.
Circus impresario Kenneth Feld has put two of his daughters, ages 32 and 30, in charge of producing his touring shows, while his youngest, Juliette, 27, learns the ropes as director of strategic planning.
It's freed chairman and chief executive Feld, 62, to focus on the bigger parts of his sprawling empire that claims to be the world's largest producer of live entertainment.
Besides three touring units of Ringling Bros., Feld commands 18 other tours, including Disney on Ice, Disney Live, Monster Jam, AMA motocross, drag racing and bull riding. Last year, 30 million people bought tickets to Feld's events, enough to rival sports leagues like the NBA or NHL.
Feld, who calls a Harbour Island condo in Tampa home six months a year, talked recently with the St. Petersburg Times, while his daughters rehearsed two new circus productions at the circus' winter home at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
Feld talked about how he keeps a century-old tradition relevant, how his daughters got in and the logic behind the Human Fuse and the Nuclear Cowboyz.
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