End of an era as Ringling Bros. gears up for last two shows

The circus has been a staple of American entertainment since the mid-1800s, wowing audiences with an array of exotic animals, breathtaking acrobatics, comedy and costumes. But reign of the ringmaster is over.

The circus will perform two final shows this month, the first this weekend on May 7 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence Rhode Island. The last show ever for the iconic circus is scheduled at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on May 21.

Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros., announced in January that it was ending the circus tours due to high costs and declining ticket sales.

The company, caving to years of protests over the treatment and training of circus elephants, announced it was retiring the pachyderms last year.

"Following the transition of the elephants off the circus, the company saw a decline in ticket sales greater than could have been anticipated," Feld said in a statement earlier this year.

Other factors contributing to the demise of the circus in recent decades includes movies, the internet and video games.