All in the Family at Ringling Bros.

The circus, invariably, is about family--and that goes for the performers as well as for the people who come to see them. That’s certainly the case with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which is celebrating its 125th year and is in Los Angeles through Tuesday.

From the animal trainers to the daring acrobats to the comical clowns, the artistry has been passed on for generations. The Larible family is a good example. David, a seventh-generation circus performer from Italy, is the king of clowns with the traveling Ringling circus, his younger sister Vivien is a trapeze artist, and his wife, America, daughter, Shirley, and mother, “Mama” Larible, are all part of the circus family.

The “Greatest Show on Earth,” with its impressive stable of exotic animals, performers and acrobats from Russia, China, Morocco and the United States, goes on at the L.A. Sports Arena at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; also at 1:30 p.m. today; Friday at 11 a.m.; Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 11:30 and 3:30 p.m., then continues on to play the Anaheim Pond Aug. 3-13. Tickets are $10.50-$15.50, but discounts are offered at some shows. Ticketmaster: (213) 480-3232.