$12 COTTON CANDY ASIDE, CIRCUS STILL THE 'GREATEST'.

Byline: VALERIE KUKLENSKI

>LA.COM 

It's not quite a three-ring affair again, but Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have wisely given up the quasi-proscenium treatment of last year's production and accepted that the circus audience will manage to give attention to performances around the arena floor.

It's a welcome improvement over last year's edition, as is the decision to put Bello Nock front and center as often as possible.

The "Bellobration" theme is a bit much, but this one-man circus deserves the spotlight any time he grabs it. His love of clowning shows through in every bit, grand and small (and yes, that's his real hair standing on end). And he brings his infectious spirit to two aerial acts with the current generation of the Flying Wallendas, performing on the sway poles with Erendira Wallenda and on the Wheel of Steel with her husband, Nikolas Wallenda, great-grandson of Karl.

This tour has plenty of traditional elements, including trapeze, high-wire, acrobat and human cannonball acts, suggesting that the powers that be at Feld Entertainment decided to honor the 137-year-old roots of the Greatest Show on Earth and recognize that such performances are not trite to a child attending for the first or second time.

The big cats, a no-show last season, are back in the form of a dozen white and Royal Bengal tigers under the command of Tabayara Maluenda.

Taba puts them through paces such as dancing on hind legs and barrel-rolling in a group, puncuating each feat with a word of appreciation ("beautiful") and his own showy moves.

Wednesday's audience gave a ho-hum reception to the Asian elephants, contrary to Feld's contention that its ticketholders practically demand they remain in the show. A lawsuit by animal rights groups seeking to discontinue Ringling's use of the endangered animals has yet to go to trial.

The clowns have left their confetti cannons and cream pies behind and freshened their act with a "Dancing With the Stars" spoof that went over well. Another highlight was Bello bringing two boys from the audience to participate in a teeterboard stunt. Ringmaster Ty McFarlan held the show together well with a pleasing tenor voice.

For all its good points, it's unfortunate that this very commercial enterprise ($12 for cotton candy!) had to include a live commercial.

Product placement is indeed everywhere when Ringling Bros. opens its show with its clowns touting Campfire brand marshmallows, even goading the audience into chanting the product's name.

Valerie Kuklenski, [phone]

valerie.kuklenski(at)dailynews.com

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS

>Playing: Through July 22 at Staples Center; July 25 through Aug. 5 at Honda Center in Anaheim.

>Tickets: $15 to $90. www.ringling.com, www.ticketmaster.com. [phone].

>In a nutshell: The latest edition of "The Greatest Show on Earth" includes white tigers, human cannonballs and the legendary Flying Wallendas.

>Our rating: Three stars

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Elephants -- a perennial big-top favorite -- go through their paces at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.