Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus, through Sunday at the Patriot Center, then next week at the D.C. Armory.

“The Greatest Show on Earth” no longer has to compete with the Clyde Beatty Circus, like when I was a kid, and there’s no talk of sideshows in the advanced billing this week, so I guess the snake lady and the flaming sword swallower are still having to work at convenience stores. But there’s still a lot of circusiness under the Big Top (even if tents are passé, too). Lots of clever animals and humans, daredevils and clowns. Tickets at Ticketmaster, shows Friday at 1 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m. The show moves to D.C. next Wednesday through Sunday.