The word circus means family for the Zoppés
who will bring the European art of performance to Altamont

ALTAMONT — Lions, and tigers, and bears — need not apply! Not at the Zoppé Family Circus.

An Italian family circus steeped in 164 years of history will make its Capital District debut at the Altamont Fair. The Zoppés promise everything a traditional one-ring circus has to offer, and more, which, unfortunately for exotic animal lovers, means not a single lion, tiger, or bear — oh my!
Instead, the Zoppé Family Circus welcomes all to an intimate 500-seat circus that boasts "world-class equestrian showmanship, canine capers, clowning and plenty of audience participation," according to Giovanni Zoppé, a sixth generation circus performer who plays Nino the clown.
"What you’re not going to see there are lions, tigers, and bears," said Zoppé. "What you are going to see is a traditional Old-World circus with horses and dogs."

Fair-goers will also be treated to theatrical comedy, daring trapeze acts, and stunning juggling routines, Zoppé told The Enterprise during a phone interview from Chicago, where the family is currently performing.

The circus that’s coming to Altamont will be the way a circus was meant to be, being performed just like it was over a hundred years ago, said Zoppé.
"We’ve never been to the Altamont area before and we are all really excited about going to there," said Zoppé. "People come and they feel our show. We really hit every emotion from happy to romantic, from funny to sad"The whole show is really a very intimate and comfortable setting."

Scenes from the Zoppé circus range from amazing and bewildering to just plain funny, as highly-trained dogs do flips on their paws, Tosco Zoppé walks along the backs of galloping horse, and Nino performs some classic comedic slapstick while clowning around. And the crowd is not only invited, but encouraged, to participate, Zoppé said.
Zoppé has had some time to perfect his "ring presence" and character as Nino.
"I started playing Nino when I was 10 years old," said Zoppé. "I think I made $10 a week."

The Zoppé Family Circus came from humble beginnings in the mid 19th Century and went on to become one of Europe’s most renowned acts, according to Zoppé.

The circus has endured the test of time.
"We went through two world wars, famine, and have just went through so much to still be out and continuing today," said Zoppé.

Legacy of love

Like all great family legends, the Zoppé family saga started as a love story.
The story begins in 1842, when Napoline Zoppé, a street performer, fell in love with an equestrian ballerina named Ermenegilda at a Hungarian plaza in Budapest. Ermenegilda "captured the heart and minds of the crowd with her grace and showmanship," and Napoline was no different, according to the family legend.

However, Napoline’s status as a clown was looked upon disapprovingly by Ermenegilda’s father, who saw Napoline as beneath his daughter.

Doing what many young couples do in those situations, they eloped.

Running off to Venice, Italy, the two founded the circus that bears their name to this day, and began raising a family of their own. The family was schooled in the fine arts of circus entertainment, and continued to grow and carry on Napoline and Ermenegilda’s work, from generation to generation.

Across the Atlantic

Fast forward several generations and Napoline’s great-grandson Alberto is born.

Alberto, who is Giovanni Zoppé’s father, toured with the Ringling Brothers during the 1940’s and came to America to make a prominent appearance in the Oscar-winning The Greatest Show on Earth in return for an elephant sent to his family back in Italy.

Alberto, who is now 84, still takes part in the family act, although, Zoppé said, he doesn’t jump from horse to horse anymore. Alberto has a porcelain hip and has fractured his legs, ankles, foot, and knee.

Besides trading Alberto’s talents for an elephant, the Zoppé family has another interesting story: Giovanni Zoppé was born in a parking lot outside the Bozo studio in Chicago while his father was inside performing.

Zoppé is true to his roots, however.
"I still go to Italy to perform two or three times a year," he said. "Actually, I was just there two months ago and will go back in October."

After the summer tours of fairs and theaters in cities and suburbs, many of the family members break up into their own separate acts, Zoppé told The Enterprise.
"We’re more of a theater group so it’s kind of unique to have us at the fair," said Zoppé. "You can definitely expect something different."

Not just for children

The exciting environment of the circus is not without mishaps, though.

A little less than 20 years ago, Zoppé, reached out for a balloon during a trapeze act and fell 30 feet, face first. The result was a four-day coma, but, in one year’s time, he donned the costume and was right back in the ring.

The Zoppé Family Circus will perform Wednesday through Sunday at the Altamont Fair with two performances each day.
"I prefer to do two shows a day because it keeps the artistic value way up there," said Zoppé.

To learn more about the Zoppé Family Circus’s rich history, see various historical photos, or to just discover some fun facts about the big top, circus enthusiasts can go on-line to www.zoppe.net.

It was ultimately Giovanni Zoppé who revived his family’s circus here in America several years ago, where it is now beginning to garner more and more notice each year, according to their growing scheduling list of the past few years.
"We’re the only people in the world who still do this, with the only original circus act still around today," said Zoppé.
"The circus isn’t just for children alone. In my opinion, the word circus means family," said Zoppé. "The audience becomes a part of the extended family here"It’s the last real family outing."