THE BALLOON MAN

Big cats trainer among circus stars of "Dragons" at XL Center


 

Scott Gargan
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lots of people keep cats as pets. But the felines Alexander Lacey's family own are of a larger and more ferocious breed.

"Masai lived in our house until he was a year old, and then he started ripping the place to pieces," Lacey said of his 11th generation pure-bred lion. "He's definitely not a house cat."

Still, Masai, along with the 14 lions and tigers Lacey raises, are part of his extended family. He breeds them, trains them and takes care of them. He even snuggles with them.

Lacey and his pride are among the daredevil stars of "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Dragons," roaring into the XL Center in Hartford from Thursday, May 10, through Sunday, May 13.

"It's really excellent, really exciting," Lacey said of the show. "There's traditional acts, but all presented in a modern style."

A celebration of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, the event brings together circus champions -- Shaolin kung fu warriors, charging Cossack riders, majestic Asian elephants -- from all over the globe. There is a fire-breathing dragon as well, but his peek-a-boo appearances make him something of a mystery.

Lacey, who is making his American debut with Ringling Bros., is part of an English family that has raised 11 generations of lions and nine generations of tigers.

The cats' tricks range from simple commands, such as sit, stay and roll over, to complicated feats such as soaring leaps, wild flips and a reverse-pyramid in which two tigers stand on a lion's shoulders.

Being in the midst of so many blood-thirsty predators might have the average person running for the hills. But Lacey, who has been around lions and tigers all his life, isn't afraid.

"I spend so much time with the animals. I know them really well," Lacey, who hails from Nottingham, England, said. "They're just like people -- they are left- and right-handed, they have good and bad days, they can be under the weather -- just like us."

Alongside the real-life animals will be a 4,000-pound animatronic dragon. With the help of audience members, circus stars will use their high-flying and death-defying skills to lure the mythical beast out of its lair.

If Lacey and his lions and tigers don't impress the dragon -- or fans, for that matter -- than nothing will. After all, there are few people who can perform with these ferocious felines, and call them family.

"It's very important that people walk away very content," Lacey said. "I want them to see that it's the animals performing with me, that's it's not me dominating the animals. It's a case of us working together."

XL Center, 1 Civic Center St., Hartford. Saturday, May 12, 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, May 13, 1 and 5 p.m. $95-$22. 860-249-6333, www.xlcenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com.
Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Big-cats-trainer-among-circus-stars-of-Dragons-3543811.php#ixzz1uPgivN3s