Young ringmaster leads circus to Everett

EVERETT — When ringmaster David Shipman finally ran away with the circus, it made perfect sense.

At the time, the 25-year-old man was working as an admissions adviser at an art and design school.

“I was telling all these high school kids to follow their dreams,” Shipman said. “The irony was that I wasn’t going after mine.”

Shipman, now 27, is the third youngest ringmaster in the 145-year history of the Ringling Brothers circus.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey is in town this weekend at Xfinity (fomerly Comcast) Arena, and Shipman is eager to introduce the cast of this year’s show, “Super Circus Heroes.”

The Italian clown Davis Vassallo, the Shaolin Warriors of China, the high-flying Cuban Comets and the Russian Lightning Rods are set to perform at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Shipman remembers scenes from his first trip to the circus at age 3 in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.

“I still remember the colors and the action,” he said. “It certainly made an impression because I wanted to perform for people from an early age.”

His mother, Karen Shipman, likes to tell the story about how she came home from a performance of the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” and woke up young David. Together they listened to a recording of the show as she walked him through the entire musical. By the next day, after listening to the music for a third time, he had the show memorized, she said.

Indeed, Shipman is a performing arts graduate of the University of Central Florida in Orlando. His local and professional theater credits include the musicals “Les Miserables” and “A Chorus Line.”

One day at work he saw an advertisement that Ringling had placed seeking a new ringmaster for one of its three tour groups.

“I missed the local audition by 10 days, but I went ahead and sent in my application,” he said. “I figured the worst they could say was no.”

An hour after he emailed his resume, Shipman was invited to a private audition. It went well and he was offered a contract then and there.

“The third stop on my first tour was in Pensacola, in the same place where I had seen my first circus,” Shipman said. “It was great.”

After two years with the circus, what sort of ringmaster is Shipman?

“I think most people have a perception of this job that’s derived from some old movie in which the ringmaster is this bombastic, over-the-top guy,” Shipman said. “But what I do is sing, dance and talk with the kids. I’m involved in the show from beginning to end. Introducing circus magic to a new generation is powerful.”

The “Super Circus Heroes” is unlike any previous show by the company, he said.

“It’s important to get up close to superheroes so you can see what they are made of,” Shipman said. “Ours are from around the world and they will be lifted into the air on spears, ride bikes on the high wire and pick up men by one hand.”

The circus travels the country 46 weeks of the year. They have two weeks off and then go into four weeks of rehearsals for next year’s show, Shipman said.

The ringmaster said he enjoys traveling and the chance to see the country.

“But at first I wasn’t good at it. I brought everything I owned in three 150-pound suitcases,” he said. “Now I have just one small suitcase.”

One of the favorite elements of the circus is the chance to learn other languages from his fellow performers, Shipman said.

“We are one enormous family and right now I am learning Bulgarian, Italian, Russian, Spanish and Chinese,” he said. “It’s definitely a wonderful experience.”

One thing is certain, Shipman said.

“It’s never to late to chase your dreams.”

Going to the circus?

Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey Circus ticket prices range from $10 for kids at certain performances to $70 for ringside seats. Buy tickets at www.comcastarenaeverett.com, charge by phone at 866-332-8499 or at the Xfinity (Comcast) Arena Box Office, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.