Ringling Bros.' circus ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson is raising children under the big top

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — For ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, parenthood really did change everything.

"When you last heard from me, I was still a bachelor," said Iverson, who leads Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's traveling circus. "It was really all about me. How can I advance myself? How can I promote myself?

"What can I do for me? Me, me, me, me, me, me, me."

That narcissistic parade soon came to a halt.

Not long after March 2001 he met the woman who would become his wife and the mother of his children.

Nine years and two kids later, Iverson said he feels like a different person.

"A funny thing happens when you endeavor into husband-hood and fatherhood," he said. "There are more things that matter. Those things that matter, obviously, make you want to do for others. That's spilled over into my performing life, my professional life."

Last week, Iverson worked his three-ring magic at Hampton Coliseum. While he remains a flamboyant and bombastic showman, the purpose behind his high-volume flights of linguistic fancy is different.

In addition to feathering his own nest, he's out to serve his audience, his fellow performers, and his family.

Family life

Iverson's wife, Priscilla, is a dancer in the show. His two children, 5-year-old Matthew and 1-year-old Lila, travel with the circus, attending schools and day care provided by the show's parent company, Feld Entertainment. His two kids are among 18 school-age children currently traveling with the circus. Parents work in roles including wardrobe, concessions and management as well as performing.

"I have to take my hat off to Ringling Bros.," Iverson said. "In a lot of ways — even under the radar — it's the most progressive show on Earth. To have my children immersed in that is a big deal."

Iverson wasn't afraid to take his family on the road. He began performing at age 11 as part of the Boys Choir of Harlem. He says his childhood, spent traveling and singing across the nation, was priceless.

He's glad his own children are growing up the same way.

"The greatest thing they're getting is what all children should be afforded — access," Iverson said. "When you get to travel this often, when you get to be around this many people, when you get to witness excellence all the time, when you live among people who fly, who do daring feats ... I think it does something to your capacity for tolerance and understanding the world in a much broader sense.