Arts Agenda - Three rings too many

Call it a case of phenomenal bad timing — or a statement about our appetite for diversion — but Atlanta is under siege by circuses. With three productions running concurrently and another just about to open, you have to wonder just how close the city is to reaching its clown capacity.

Luckily, the various big tops appeal to slightly different demographics. For those who like their fun super-sized, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth puts on a spectacle sure to be sleek and well-oiled, given that it’s the show’s 132nd edition.

At Stone Mountain, the perennial favorite Big Apple Circus returns with “Dreams of a City,” a show set in New York at the dawn of the 20th century. Given previous outings, the more intimate one-ring circus offers a certain “aw shucks” charm sometimes lacking in larger venues.

But the most peculiar game in town may be the somewhat schizophrenic UniverSoul Circus, billed as the world’s only African-American-owned and operated circus. The 10-year-old Atlanta-based outfit crams in traditional high-wire and animal acts along with extreme motorcycle sports and even an appearance by Drumline percussionists. Zoot-suited ringmaster Casual Cal attempts to smooth the transitions between the midget musicians, Chinese jugglers and “Soul Train”-style dance-off, but he too often chides the audience for not givin’ it up enough.

Admittedly, it’s a novel concept to experience a circus show set to a soundtrack of Missy Elliott and 50 Cent, but UniverSoul ultimately buckles under a basic lack of polish.

The three circuses in town might be a warm-up for the opening of the relentlessly popular Cirque du Soleil, which brings “Varekai” to the suburbs March 6.

Big Apple Circus runs through March 2 at Stone Mountain Park. $10-$36. The Greatest Show on Earth runs through March 2 at Philips Arena. $12-$55. UniverSoul Circus runs through March 2 at Turner Field parking lot. $10-$40. Tickets for all three available through Ticketmaster. 404-249-6400. www.ticketmaster.com.