They Can't Agree on What They Even Expected

They Can't Agree on What They Even Expected
Thinking Crowd at a Botique Circus today

They All Knew What They Wanted ... They All Shared the Wonder of It All

They All Knew What They Wanted ... They All Shared the Wonder of It All
The Ringling midway in 1941

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Bad Day in the Zoppe Bleachers for One Family

Preface:  It is not my policy to favor certain shows by withholding negative feedback  of them, be it a review or comment left  here.  This is a comment that was posted  yesterday at the end of my review of Zoppe's 2024 show, "Send Back the Dogs" I have never sat in the bleachers, so I would be hard pressed to comment myself.     

"We came to the circus yesterday with three families and three young kids (ages 1.5 to 4). We were the first ones to enter the tent. The seating is made of tall bench-style rows with wide gaps and no stairs, so you have to climb up each bench. As we tried to go up, my daughter nearly fell through one of the gaps — it’s genuinely unsafe for small children.

Because of that, we chose to sit together in the middle row, leaving three entire empty rows in front of us. We were sitting tightly together, not taking extra space. Someone from the staff asked us to move up, and we explained that the benches were unsafe for our kids and that adults and older kids should be the ones climbing higher.

Then the person who appeared to be the owner or announcer came over and started shouting at us, saying things like “This is my circus, this is my show,” and threatened to make us leave if we didn’t move. His tone was aggressive and completely uncalled for, especially in front of small children. I honestly started shaking — it was that upsetting. One of the adults in our group asked him to please calm down because of the kids, but he continued.

Ironically, the show wasn’t even full. Many benches stayed empty throughout. There was absolutely no need for the confrontation.

This was supposed to be a fun family outing, and instead it turned into a really frightening and stressful experience. I would never return. The way we were treated was rude, unprofessional, and completely unnecessary, and the seating setup is unsafe for young children."

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