Feld Entertainment

Feld Entertainment Inc. is an American live show production company which owns a number of traveling shows. The company began with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus then expanded into additional live events, including Disney on Ice (under license from The Walt Disney Company), Monster Jam, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and Sesame Street Live (under license from Sesame Workshop). The company is family owned.

Feld Entertainment Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
PredecessorRingling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc.
Founders
HeadquartersFeld Entertainment Studio,
Ellenton, Florida
,
United States
Number of locations
4[1][2]
Area served
International[1]
Key people
ProductsLive shows
Production output
Live arena shows[4]
Owners
  • Kenneth Feld (majority)
  • Alana Feld
  • Juliette Feld
  • Nicole Feld
[5]
Number of employees
3,000[5]
DivisionsFeld Consumer Products[6]
live productions[7]
Subsidiaries
Websitefeldentertainment.com

History

In 1967, Irvin Feld, Israel Feld, and Roy M. Hofheinz offered to purchase the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Broadway producers Cy Feuer and Ernest H. Martin sued in December 1967 to stop the sale.[9] Nevertheless, the purchase of the combined circuses from the Ringling and North families to the Feld group took place for $8 million. The company was taken public in 1969.[8] Kenneth Feld joined the business in 1970 after finishing college.[5]

Mattel purchased the company in 1971 for $50 million in Mattel stock, while Feld continued managing the circus.[8] After Walt Disney World opened near Orlando, Florida, in 1971, the circus company attempted to cash in on the resulting tourism surge by opening Circus World in nearby Haines City.[10] Irvin & Kenneth Feld Productions in 1979 purchased from Chicago-based Bill Wirtz the Holiday on Ice and Ice Follies for $12 million. The company soon approached Disney about doing a Disney show on ice.[11] By 1980, the company produced 10 circus and ice show TV specials. An investment was also made in Barnum, the Broadway musical.[10] In 1981, Ken Feld started the Beyond Belief show at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino.[4][12]

The Felds bought the company back in 1982 for $22.8 million. By then, the business included Holiday on Ice, Ice Follies, Walt Disney's World on Ice, and Beyond Belief Las Vegas nightclub act.[8] Circus World was sold to Arizona developer James Monaghan in 1984.[13] Ringlings' third touring company, Gold Unit, premiered on July 1, 1988, in Japan. In late 1988, Beyond Belief Las Vegas act went on an international tour.[4]

Feld Entertainment

In October 1996, Irvin & Kenneth Feld Productions, Inc. changed its name to Feld Entertainment, Inc.[14] In 2001, Ken Feld began gifting shares of Feld Entertainment to his three daughters Nicole, Alana and Juliette Feld.[5] Nicole was hired into the family business in 2001 and became the first female producer of the Ringling Bros. Circus in 2004. Alana also signed on in 2003.[7]

Due to an accident in October 2003, the Siegfried & Roy show was closed.[12] FE started producing Disney Live! shows in June 2004 with Winnie the Pooh in the United Kingdom.[15] Alana produced the first Doodlebops Live! in 2006.[7] In 2006, Nicole was a vice president in charge of the circus.[5] The company sold its Vienna, Virginia headquarters in May 2006 to America's Capital Partners then leased it back until 2018.[2] In 2007, Nicole and Alana were elevated to executive vice president of the company.[7]

The company signed a 10-year agreement with Disney Live Family Entertainment for Disney on Ice, Disney Live and other Disney productions in August 2008.[12] In September, Feld also acquired the motorsports division of Live Nation, including the properties of Monster Jam (and several associated monster trucks), Supercross, Arenacross, and the IHRA. The motor sport division was renamed Feld Entertainment Motor Sports.[1] Feld Motor Sports launched its first new arena-based freestyle motocross touring production, Nuclear Cowboyz, in 2010.[16] Feld Motor Sports sold the IHRA to IRG Sports + Entertainment in 2012.[17]

Feld Entertainment and Zignia Live, management company of Arena Ciudad de Mexico and Arena Monterrey, signed a promotion agreement in April 2011 bringing any of Feld shows to Zingia's managed arenas for a total of 18 weeks. This brings back the Ringling Bros circus in May 2012 that had been absent from Mexico since 2002.[18]

In January 2012, the company purchased Palmetto Corporate Center, a former Siemens Corp. complex in Ellenton, Florida, and plans to move most of its various operations and its world headquarters there over a five-year period starting with its worldwide production center.[2] Feld agreed in October 2013 to occupy a to be built 241,457-square-foot warehouse in the Baltimore-Washington Industrial Park, Jessup, Maryland expected to be finished in November 2014 to consolidated two other warehouse elsewhere in the industrial park used for merchandise.[19] In 2015, Feld Motor Sports HQ moved from Illinois to Ellenton.[20]

In March 2013, Feld agreed with Marvel Entertainment, which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2009, to produce Marvel Universe Live!, a Marvel character-based live arena show.[21] Marketing campaign company Cimarron Group was hired in 2013 by Feld Entertainment for all media campaign for Marvel Live and other Feld shows.[22] The Cimarron Group however shut down August 2013.[23]

Juliette Feld was promoted to chief operating officer of the corporation in February 2016.[3] In November 2016, Feld Entertainment and Sesame Workshop announced an agreement for a new Sesame Street Live show to debut in October 2017 to replace one by VStar Entertainment Group ending in July 2017.[24][25]

Citing low attendance rates, Feld Entertainment announced the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would close after their final performance on May 21, 2017. The retirement of the elephants was a factor in the decreased attendance, but the company would continue operating its Center for Elephant Conservation.[26] It is set to return in 2023, but with the animal acts removed.[27]

Feld Entertainment entered into the amusement and attractions industry again. Feld and Universal Brand Development has agreed to develop multiple properties into mobile pop-up attractions in April 2018. The first being DreamWorks Trolls: The Experience starting its tour in the third quarter 2018 in New York.[28] At the IAAPA Attractions Expo 2018, Feld offered two concepts at the expo, a Monster Jam roller coaster and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus interactive stations.[29] In September 2019, Feld and Universal will start its joint touring show, Jurassic World Live Tour, in Columbus, Ohio.[30]

Units

Feld Entertainment owns:

Live show productions

Disney Live!
  • Winnie the Pooh (June 2004–2005) United Kingdom, Spain, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand (July 29, 2005–2006) USA (2006–) Japan[15]
  • Mickey’s Magic Show[6]
  • Playhouse Disney / Disney Junior Live:
    • Playhouse Disney Live on Tour! (launched August 25, 2007) focuses on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and My Friends Tigger & Pooh characters of Playhouse Disney shows and produced by Ken and Alana Feld.[32]
    • Mickey's Rockin' Road Show was created in early 2009 and is on its second tour starting in July 2010. The show has 15-minute interactive pre-show segment, Playhouse Disney Pre-Show Party, with video highlights.[33]
    • Pirate & Princess Adventure features Sofia the First and Jake and the Never Land Pirates[34]
  • Three Classic Fairy Tales (opened May 2008) China[6][35])
  • Mickey's Music Festival[36]
  • Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic (Brazil April 2015–2016) (US Early 2016–) The show is directed and choreographed by Fred Tallaksen and produced by Alana Feld.[37]

Others

Pop-up attractions
  • DreamWorks Trolls: The Experience[28] (New York October 22, 2018)[43]

Theatrical

(most on Broadway):

  • Big[44]
  • Barnum[10]
  • Largely New York
  • Fool Moon
  • MADhattan in Las Vegas[6]
  • Three Musketeers musical (1984)[44]

References
  1. Plumb, Tierney (September 11, 2009). "Feld Entertainment enters motor sports business". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  2. Sword, Doug; Michael Pollick (January 31, 2012). "Feld Entertainment moving headquarters to Ellenton". Herald-Tribune. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  3. "Juliette Feld Appointed COO". Venues Today. February 17, 2016. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  4. "Disney Ice Extravaganza Opens". Los Angeles Times. Times Wire Services. July 1, 1988. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  5. Heath, Thomas (June 15, 2012). "Feld Entertainment head prepares to pass his empire to his daughters". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  6. "Feld Entertainment, Inc Company profile" (PDF). eswr.com. Feld Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  7. Tupponce, Joan (July 29, 2009). "Think your office is a circus?". Virginia Business. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  8. "Feld Family Buys Ringling Bros". Associated Press in The New York Times. March 19, 1982. Retrieved July 20, 2008. Mattel Inc. said that it had sold Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows Inc. for $22.8 million to a family that had owned the circus and has been in its management for 26 years. Two members of the family, Irvin Feld and his son, Kenneth, said that the deal included the circus, Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice and the new Walt Disney's World on Ice. ...Irvin Feld was a record and music promoter and music store chain owner before becoming involved with the circus in 1956. In 1967, he and a brother acquired the company's total assets from the Ringling and North families for $8 million. Two years later, the circus became a publicly held corporation, and in 1971 the company was sold to Mattel for $50 million in stock.
  9. Calta, Louis (December 5, 1967). "Feuer and Martin Suing Felds Over Circus Sale". The New York Times. Retrieved July 20, 2008. Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, Broadway producers, brought suit in New York State Supreme Court yesterday to cancel the sale of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus to Irvin and Israel Feld and Roy M. Hofheinz.
  10. Langdon, Dolly (May 12, 1980). "Lord of the Rings' Irvin Feld Has Made a Fading Circus the Greatest Show on Earth Again". People. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  11. Dale, Steve (January 20, 1995). "Snow White And Greenbacks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  12. Grove, Lloyd (August 28, 2008). "The World According to Kenneth Feld". Upstart Business Journal. American City Business Journals. p. 5,18. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  13. Vaughan, Vicki (May 14, 1986). "Circus World Sold And Closed". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  14. "Feld Entertainment, Inc. Event". SunBiz.og. State of Florida Division of Corporation. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  15. "'Disney Live! Winnie The Pooh to play at the Beacon Theatre". New York Theatre Guide. September 20, 2005. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  16. Malok, Andre (February 28, 2014). "Nuclear Cowboyz: Jersey boy goes airborne at the IZOD Center". NJ.com. NJ Advance Media. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  17. Boudevin, Jessica; Deckard, Linda (October 7, 2014). "Drag Racing Firm Scores Major Financing". Venues Today. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  18. Boardman, Liz (June 4, 2011). "Brave New World". Venues Today. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  19. Litten, Kevin (October 17, 2013). "Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey to store circus merchandise in a huge Jessup warehouse". Baltimore Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  20. Janelle O’Dea, Janelle O’Dea (May 20, 2017). "Feld Entertainment gave executives $1.5 million in raises in 2015". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  21. "Marvel, circus company join forces for superhero arena show". Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  22. Graser, Marc (July 15, 2013). "Feld Entertainment Taps Cimarron to Market Marvel's Superhero Arena Show". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  23. Graser, Marc (October 14, 2013). "Is 'Marvel Universe Live!' the Comic Book Company's 'Cirque du Marvel'?". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  24. Nakashima, Rebecca (April 6, 2016). "VStar Finds New CEO". Venues Today. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  25. "'Sesame Street' to Take the Stage". License! Global. UBM. November 18, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  26. Lush, Tamara (January 14, 2017). "APNewsBreak: Ringling Bros. circus to close after 146 years". The Big Story. Associated Press. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  27. Nir, Sarah Maslin. "Ringling Circus Is Returning. Lions, Tigers and Dumbo Are Not". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  28. Whyte, Alexandra (May 1, 2018). "Universal, Feld develop Trolls interactive attraction". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  29. "Feld entertainment shows concepts". Park World. July 12, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  30. Grebey, James (April 10, 2019). "Jurassic World Live Tour's Challenge is Making Movie Dinosaurs Live". Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  31. Frederick, Missy (June 1, 2009). "With new motor sports unit, Feld Entertainment battles recession". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  32. "Playhouse Disney Live! Brings Disney Channel Favorities Together on Stage to 70 U.S. Cities in Their First Live Touring Production" (Press release). Feld Entertainment. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  33. Newman, Brad (October 14, 2010). "Disney characters take center stage". Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  34. "Disney Junior Live: Pirate & Princess Adventure Overview". New York Times Theater. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  35. Tulloch, Katrina (May 8, 2015). "Belle, Snow White and Cinderella coming to 'Disney LIVE!' at The Oncenter this fall". The Post-Standard. Syracuse Media Group. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  36. "Mickey's Music Festival brings Disney fun to Shore". Delmarva Now. Gannett. November 19, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  37. Brooks, Dave (April 16, 2015). "The Future of Feld is Now". Amplify Magazine. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  38. Kennedy Wynne, Sharon (July 1, 2014). "Ambitious Marvel stunt show makes world premiere in Tampa". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  39. "Multimedia Show Recreates Spirit of George Lucas Films". CS Monitor. AP. February 22, 1993. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  40. "'Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever!' coming to Columbus". Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  41. Beck, Jerry (January 9, 2015). "Behold The Sheer Horror of "Phineas and Ferb – Live!"". IndieWire. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  42. Storey, Ken (January 29, 2018). "After killing off Ringling Brothers, Feld Entertainment now turns to a new Jurassic World arena show". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  43. Gross, Arlene (July 31, 2018). "New 'DreamWorks Trolls' event coming to NYC". Newsday. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  44. Heath, Thomas (May 3, 2010). "The man behind the 'Greatest Show on Earth'". The Washington Post. p. 1. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
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