Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have appointed its first female ringmaster, Feld Entertainment announced Wednesday.

  • Kristen Michelle Wilson becomes first female ringmaster for Ringling Bros.
  • Wilson, a Tallahassee native, is a resident of Orlando
  • She will officially join the circus on Jan. 12

Kristen Michelle Wilson, joins “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Circus Xtreme” in January.  The Tallahassee native has a background in theater and is a professional singer. She moved to Central Florida in 2010 to pursue a career in live theater.

“We constantly travel the globe looking for the best and brightest talent,” said Alana Feld, executive vice president of Feld Entertainment. “Kristen Michelle Wilson wowed us with her powerful voice and charismatic personality. We knew immediately that she would be able to connect with the audience and bring theme along on the Circus Xtreme adventure.”

Wilson beat out hundreds of candidates in a nationwide open audition for the position.

In addition to being Ringling’s first female ringmaster, she also becomes the 39th in the circus’s 146-year history.

Her first performance will be at the Amway Center on Jan. 12, followed by a national tour with stops in Jacksonville, Tampa and Atlanta.

For more information about the Circus Xtreme tour schedule, click here.