Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus Comes to the Moss Center

The spring season at the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center comes to life this coming weekend with a series of breathtaking performances by Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus on March 3 at 7 p.m.; March 4 at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.; and March 5 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the Backyard Concert Lawn.

Heralded as refreshingly intimate and highly expressive, Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus is presented in a 500-seat Big Top tent, close to the action in the center ring. Zoppé captivates the audience with fantastic acrobatic feats, canine capers, clowns, equestrian acrobatics, and the interactive involvement of the audience.

The touching story of the Zoppé Circus starts at its founding 180 years ago with a young French street performer named Napoline Zoppé looking for a new job in Budapest, Hungary. There he met a Hungarian equestrian ballerina named Ermenegilda, and the two fell in love. Unfortunately, Ermenegilda's father disapproved of their relationship, and the young couple was forced to escape, embarking on a new life in Venice, Italy.

"In 2019, Zoppé Circus was an audience favorite as they staked in their Big Top, parked their wagons, and grazed their horses for six fun-filled performances on our Backyard Concert Lawn," says Eric Fliss, Managing Director of the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center.

"Always charming, Zoppé is a family of performers committed to offering a breath of fresh air by taking us back to a simpler time. It is the perfect show for young families and kids of all ages," he added.

Over more than a century, Zoppé survived wars and political turmoil upsurges to ultimately emerge as one of the most legendary circuses in Europe. Eventually, Zoppé moved to the United States, carrying on the family's vast traditions and showmanship over multiple generations. Today, the circus performs worldwide, enchanting audiences under the direction of sixth-generation performer Giovanni Zoppé.