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Kenneth Feld 

Submitted by Editor on   4/29/2004
Last Modified

Kenneth Feld
CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FELD ENTERTAINMENT, INC

Editor’s note:  See also Tent 150 – Kenneth Feld

At the core of every Feld Entertainment® enterprise is Kenneth Feld's simple mission: to make all the people who attend one of the company's productions forget their cares and concerns for a few hours, take a journey to a magical place and perhaps be transformed by what they find there. By giving each member of the audience a chance to reconnect with the core of his or her being, with the soul of what it means to be human, he helps all of us fulfill the basic human desire to be amazed, amused and entertained.

According to Kenneth, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the world's largest live entertainment company, "Our productions are the very embodiment of the human spirit - people overcoming incredible obstacles and fears in pursuit of physical and personal excellence. Our only limits are our imaginations, and I want our audiences to reconnect to that part of them that makes each one unique and powerful. They may even learn something - whether it is about the many cultures in our world, the many creatures that live in it or perhaps something about themselves."

He was a sophomore at Boston University when his father, entertainment impresario Irvin Feld, purchased Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® in 1967 and celebrated that feat by staging a signing ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome. After earning his degree in business management in 1970, Kenneth began what he calls his "graduate education" by working side by side with his father in all facets of the company to learn the live entertainment industry. Highlights of the Felds' innovations include creating a second touring unit of Ringling Bros., modernizing the creative and business practices of the shows and launching Disney On IceSM in 1981. This partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation marked the creation of a new genre, the art of telling a full-length story on ice. The Felds' expertise in staging large-scale productions led to the creation of a Las Vegas extravaganza featuring master illusionists Siegfried & Roy® at the Mirage Hotel, which has been credited for assisting Las Vegas in its efforts to become a family-friendly tourist destination.

After Irvin's death in 1984, Kenneth assumed the role of CEO, and Feld Entertainment has grown exponentially under his watch. Today, the company is a global enterprise made up of close to 2,500 people who bring joy, amazement, thrills and laughter to millions of families all over the world. Based just outside Washington, DC, Feld Entertainment produces a wide variety of live family spectaculars, including two touring units of The Greatest Show On Earth® and a number of Disney On Ice shows including Toy Story 2, Disney/Pixar's Monsters, Inc. and Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey. In 2004, Feld Entertainment will launch two new family entertainment productions Disney Live! Pooh's Perfect Day, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Hometown Edition that will bring the unique magic of Ringling Bros. to more communities than ever before all across America.

Kenneth has also produced Broadway shows including Barnum, Big and Fool Moon. Fool Moon was chosen to receive a special Tony® Award in 1999, and Kenneth was delighted to have been part of the production team. Feld Entertainment productions have appeared in 48 countries on six continents, and approximately 25 million people see the company's shows each year. Divisions of the company produce sets, costumes and concessions for the shows.

The vision goes beyond entertainment. Recognizing the seriousness of the challenge facing the endangered Asian elephant, Kenneth established the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995. The center is a $5-million, 200-acre, state-of-the-art facility for the breeding, study and retirement of the Asian elephant, a long-term partner in Ringling Bros. performances. To date, 16 calves have been born under the care of the elephant experts at the CEC, and the staff shares the knowledge gained over 134 years of working with these magnificent animals with the world's veterinary and research communities to help ensure the species' ultimate survival.

As the world's leading producer of live family entertainment, no other person or company does what Kenneth does. "My greatest reward is audience appreciation," he says. "Children wave, dance, sing along and shout with glee. Adults applaud, tap their feet, laugh out loud and watch the radiant joy of the kids. Then they all go home and talk about their experiences. Our productions create memories, stimulate the imagination and touch the heart. It's all about people connecting and communicating.


Reprinted with permission  ©2004 Feld Entertainment, Inc. 

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