From the Moscow Circus to the Las Vegas Strip
Gregory Popovich was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, into a circus family — he is a fourth-generation performer. The stage was his first classroom: juggling, balance and the patient timing of physical comedy were passed to him the way other families pass down a trade — by hand, at home, every day. At 16 he was a soloist of the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
He is a graduate of the Great Moscow Circus and of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and a Guinness World Record–holding juggler. With his show he has performed in 25 countries. He shared the ring with Yuri Nikulin, Oleg Popov, Kio, Durov, the Zapashny brothers and Volzhansky.
American audiences met him on late-night television: The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and later with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He reached the finals of America’s Got Talent.
Vaudeville is the form he chose to keep alive. Every act he builds follows the grammar of classic vaudeville — live juggling, gentle humor, music-hall warmth — a timeless, heartwarming variety format where the audience is a partner in the fun.
Animal training is the other half of his craft. He grew up backstage while his parents performed in the Moscow Circus, and over those years developed a deep understanding of animals. Every animal performer in the show is trained by him personally, using only positive reinforcement.
Today his cast members are more than 25 animals — cats, dogs, geese, parrots, a mini horse and a mini pig — every one of them taken from a shelter. On stage they are not props but partners.
Awards and Records
National television
Books by Gregory Popovich
A guide for cat owners — from the trainer of the Las Vegas cast.
A practical guide for dog owners: choosing a dog, life at home, health, habits and tricks.
Questions people ask
Is this the same Popovich as the NBA coach?
No. Gregory Popovich is a vaudeville performer and humane animal training expert who leads the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater in Las Vegas.
Where can I see the show?
The show runs Tuesday through Saturday at 2:30 PM at the V Theater, Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, on the Las Vegas Strip. The matinee lasts 70 minutes with no intermission.
Who trains the animals?
Gregory Popovich trains every animal performer himself. All of them were taken from animal shelters.