Much like all the dinosaurs, their deaths were because of their lack of adaptation. Despite the Feld girls taking over the show and in spite of them removing the Elephants from performances, retiring them to that refuge they set up, they did very little to focus and change the show for an audience that required something different.

Ringling was a massive effort and the cost of just getting the show from city to city was a huge expense. Needing to traffic with Amtrak about times and tracks available alone was a challenge.

It had been a few years since I saw the show (one of my classmates from Clown College was playing in the pit band the last time I went). But I guess I'll have to go now. Don't know if I'll brave the final performance on Long Island... but maybe.