Preparing an empty arena for the “Greatest Show on Earth” looks like a bit of a circus.

What appears to be chaos is actually an intricate, detailed process to get everything in place for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which opened a four-night run at Verizon Wireless Arena in downtown Manchester on Thursday night. From hanging the lighting above to laying a rubber surface on the floor, every bit of space has its own role in the setup required for the two-hour show.

”We have to be organized. There's a lot of moving pieces for our show,” said Jason Gibson, an assistant general manager overseeing the tour. “When the show is put together, it doesn't matter if it's the first show or the 450th show, it's got to be the same. We have that exact quality control each and every day.”

Crew members and even some of the performers dodged forklifts Thursday as they fashioned the elaborate setup where fans would marvel at the daredevil performers, animal acts and clowns that try to keep a balance of circus tradition while still being a new show the audience hasn't seen before.

“I don't always dress like this. I'm working!' performer Brian Miser shouted, wearing jeans and a T-shirt as he dashed across the parking lot to a trailer for a tool.

Miser's role was traditionally known as the “Human Cannonball.” In the modern-day show, he's the “Human Fuse,” lighted on fire and sent flying across the arena from a giant crossbow.

Miser's launching device was still packed away in one of the many white wagons being carted through the arena or waiting in the parking lot. His giant landing pads were backstage, along with dozens of other props for the episode titled “Fully Charged.”

The preparation actually began Wednesday night when crew members chained a large trestle from the rafters. The gridwork of metal lined with wires supports the circus' own lights, sound system and even the collapsible cage that when raised encase trainer Tabayara and a dozen tigers that are part of the show. There are also six elephants and 23 horses on the tour, which travels the country by a train with enough cars to stretch it more than a mile, Gibson said.

Once the work above is complete, the crew starts laying down a rubber surface to cover the concrete floor, giving the animals the traction needed for the performances. As the surface goes down, the high-wire equipment goes up as each piece is carefully bolted for the wire that will stand 40 feet off the ground.

“The most important thing in my work is the setup, because it's a safety thing,” high-wire performer Mustafa Danguir said after the three-hour assembly project. “I'm responsible for my partners, for my family, for my girlfriend — all the people who work with me, I know they trust me and put their life in my hand. I have to be more than 100 percent (sure) the setup is good.”

The Manchester show is one of three units constantly touring the country. The Red, Blue and Gold units are all different shows that are on a staggered schedule, allowing the circus to come to town every year and still be a new show.

The Red Unit arrived in New Hampshire after a 1,000-mile trek from Grand Rapids, Mich., and has another two months to go on a two-year tour before it is rewritten and then put back into the cycle. The tour also features a nine-piece band, which pumps out music written specifically for the show. While the tunes have grown louder and more modern than the old-style circus marches, music is still a staple the show written to peak fans' interest and is and recognized by everybody — even the four-legged performers.

“Once they hear the music, you can see them start getting antsy. They're like 'All right — it's showtime!'” Gibson said.

Gibson, who started with the circus as a sound engineer, said the whole setup process takes about 16 hours. The crew has assembled and disassembled everything enough times to have it down to nearly a science.

“Some people think that we're all riding unicycles all around and we're just walking around and juggling all the time. No. We're normal folks,” Gibson said. “We just have an extraordinary job.”

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Doug Alden may be reached at dalden@unionleader.com.