If you visited Galveston’s Stewart Beach this past March, it wasn’t your average day at the beach. Instead of bikinis and palm trees, beachgoers saw a breath taking, larger than life, intriguing red and white striped tent. This spectacle belonged to the Zoppé Family Circus, a 180-year-old traveling circus that decided to call Galveston home from March 7th through the 31st.
The circus began its performance with a goofy, but captivating, pre-show that introduced the “family” to the audience and gave them a teaser of the delights that awaited. A live band played while the main performer, Nino the Clown, informed the crowd about his colleges, providing the customers with a little backstory. He even called up volunteers for a little dance lesson! Just the pre-show alone evoked a bundle of laughs from the crowd and proved a great way to warm up the audience for the night of adventures to come.
When the gates finally opened, the excited crowd poured into the circus tent to find a spot among the 500 bleacher seats that filled the tent, including a VIP section that created a circle around the makeshift “stage.” The so-called “stage” itself appears to have been yanked straight out of a cartoon with a straw floor, snaky droopy rope ladders, huge spot and fairy lights, and a platform for the live band to play and conduct.
The show started with our main character, Nino, getting ready for the night by powdering his nose in front of the screaming audience while the Ring Master chastised Nino for goofing off with his fellow clowns.
With the audience primed by Nino, showmen jumped into the air from their horses backs as they passed through a ring of fire; dancers balanced on live horses; pink and blue poodles ran around hopping on slides, leaping through hoops, turning summersaults; women and men on tight ropes had the audience holding their breath for fear of falling from such a height while performing incredible feats and jugglers wowed the audience with spectacular flaming tricks that ignited the crowd.
The show mesmerized the crowd throughout the performance and had the audience cheering for more; but, like all acts, the show must end. Keep your eyes peeled for the Zoppé Family Circus next summer for a guaranteed perfect night.
