Like many people, Lauren Irving first experienced the circus as a child.

“I remember watching the trapeze act, and the smell of the popcorn and just the lights, you know, everything and how I felt. I felt so inspired,” Irving said.

Little did she know, years later, that she would be helping to lead that show.

She told Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on Florida’s Fourth Estate she is one of three people who helps to guide the audience through the experience.

She plays the character of Aria but said she gets to bring a lot of her personality into the role as well.

She said her experience doing a Broadway show on the Norwegian Cruise Line, and performing at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando prepared her for the position.

Beyond her current role, she said she is also trying to learn to juggle because she is inspired by all of the talent around her.

The show — which used to feature a variety of animals, including elephants — has changed its act and now focuses on what Irving called “human ability.”

She said it brings together people from dozens of countries pushing themselves to their limits to bring a smile to the people who come out and watch them perform.

The acts include a record-breaking unicyclist, musicians, tightrope walkers, jugglers and more.

Irving said she loves to see how much everybody is enjoying it, much like she did as a young girl.

“You see people who you can tell they have been to Ringling before and then they are bringing their children,” she said

“The Greatest Show on Earth” will be in Orlando at the Kia Center from Jan. 12-15. Tickets are on sale starting at $25.

To learn more about the woman helping to keep the new and re-imagined circus running smoothly, and about Matt’s secret skills that could qualify him as a circus performer check out Florida’s Fourth Estate.

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