BARABOO, Wis. — The Al. Ringling Theatre has been a staple of Baraboo’s downtown for nearly 110 years. The Wisconsin Historical Society acquired the building in March.
Scott O’Donnell said he’s always awestruck every time he steps inside the theatre. O’Donnell is the director of Circus World, a museum intricate dedicated to preserving the history of circus arts.
“It’s absolutely glorious,” O’Donnell said. “There’s no way that you can step within its storied halls without being inspired.”
The 700-seat theatre was built in 1915 by Al Ringling, the co-founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus. It’s played host to many performances over the years.
“It’s known the world over,” O’Donnell said. “It’s been part of the American condition longer than Coca Cola, Kentucky Derby and baseball.”
O’Donnell said that’s why the Wisconsin Historical Society’s acquisition of the theatre is so crucial. He said the move is part of an effort to make Circus World a year-round operation.
But more than that, he said it secures the theatre’s future for the people who love it.
That includes Dave Saloutos, a member of the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc., which previously owned the theatre.
“Nobody was designated, paid to manage the theater,” he said. “So that was kind of a difficult situation. And it was hard to keep any consistency going with the operations of the theater. It would be open, it would be closed for a while, be open and closed.”
With the aid of the community, who donated a little over $3 million to the cause, it’ll now be preserved. Saloutos said that means everything to him.
“You still feel Al Ringling’s spirit,” he said. “He loved this community. And it was very important to him that it had a place for the arts. And so, he gave this to us.”
O’Donnell said the community’s support for the theatre proves that the rural community of Baraboo loves the Ringlings right back.
“We’re a species that loves to gather and connect, and to celebrate what’s possible in the human condition,” he said. “To write comedy, to sing songs, to play beautiful orchestrations, that’s such an important thing to get together.”
