What's it like to be a 'Human Rocket'? Find out when Ringling Bros. circus returns to RI
For a few seconds each show, Skyler Miser has the best view in the house, shooting 110 feet through the air while 35 feet above the audience at the circus.
Encased in a specially made tube, her blond hair barely visible through small holes in its side, Miser becomes the Human Rocket, part of the reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus that swings into the Amica Mutual Pavilion for six shows from April 26 to 28.
This will mark the circus's first stop in Providence since 2017 – the year Ringling Bros. ceased operations – a show that featured Miser and her parents, the Human Rocket originators. It promises a 360-degree immersive experience with new and familiar performances by a cast of 75 who “push the limits of human potential,” including aerialists, Guinness World Record holders and acrobats.
For Miser, it’s another day at the office. At 20, she’s been around circuses her entire life, making her debut at age 2 alongside dad Brian, who designs and builds the cannons and often was shot from them himself while engulfed in flames, and mom Tina.
“The first time performing professionally I was 14, the year the circus closed,” Miser says. “I remember crying, because I didn’t think my dream would ever happen. This is a huge deal!”
Even before the circus closed, her first-generation circus parents were torn between encouraging her and wanting her to grow up “normal.” When she was 6, they stopped touring. Bored, she begged to return.
“This really is the best childhood. We’re family, one thing I love the most. You learn about other cultures,” Miser says, noting that the tour includes performers from Mongolia, Ethiopia, Argentina and many other countries.
She also continues to learn from her parents, following their rigorous training regimen and learning the science behind the stunt to perform it safely.
“I understood [how dangerous it could be] when I got older and was going farther and higher each time,” Miser says of her learning curve while mastering the stunt. “That’s when I started getting nervous. Things got real.”
The trampoline and a trick she calls the “high fall,” a 35-foot drop into a giant airbag, helps her develop spatial awareness.
“You need to know where you are in the air at all times,” she says.
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Then, before each firing of the cannon, Miser checks every aspect of the device three times.
“It’s a machine, so there’s a lot that can go wrong," she says. "Even the humidity in the building can affect the flight.”
She keeps notes in a special book, referencing it when she’s unsure what to do for a performance. Dozens of books record her father’s 9,000 shots, her mom’s 6,000 and the 400 or so she’s done so far.
The adrenaline rush is part of the allure for her, but Miser also enjoys knowing how much the trick thrills circus-goers of all ages.
“My favorite part is the audience," she says. "In the last city, the rocket came out, and I could hear little girls yelling my name. It melted my heart.”
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Stunts like the Human Rocket leave the audience wanting more, and she predicts she might someday choose to be engulfed in flames while flying through the air, just like Dad.
If you go ...
What: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
When: April 26-28
Where: Amica Mutual Pavilion, 1 La Salle Square, Providence
Tickets: amicamutualpavilion.com, (401) 331-6700; or ticketmaster.com
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ringling Bros. circus is coming to RI for first time since 2017
