Many years ago, I visited the V Theatre, located in the Miracle Mile Shops mall in Las Vegas. I was there to see the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater show. My expectations were low, but they had cats.
It exceeded all of my expectations.
They had cats. Cats who did tricks.
It’s a small, hybrid show, mixing animal antics with clown work and juggling. The primary star is Gregory Popovich, who commands the stage in a clown costume and is the ring-master for a large group of pets. Early in the show, we are introduced to several of the animals, who come out on a miniature train ( think of those annoying trains that drive kids around the mall). These pets, including cats, are just hanging out on the train, waiting for Popovich’s command. All different animals (dogs, birds, cats, rats, et) hanging out together in harmony, looking cute!
Most of the tricks are fairly basic, but the animals are all adorable. A video is shown regarding how the animals are all adopted from shelters and those who don’t want to perform, are not forced. The vibe is that these animals are all loved, well-cared for, and respected. The training seems to be through reward, not punishment.
If you can’t tell, I love cats. But truly, the cats are the best part of the show, simply because unlike dogs, cats don’t usually show an interest in tricks. Popovich has cats walk across a tight rope, dangle and crawl along the rope, jump on small perches, jump from great heights, et…Cats doing tricks!
This is a small show and the tickets are inexpensive. If you’re an animal lover, it is delightful. You can even meet some of the furry stars after the show for a photo-op.
So, If I saw the show many years ago, why am I writing about it now? Well, in the summer of 2017, we took the kids. At the time, my step-daughter had just turned ten and my stepson was nearly eight. It seemed like the perfect fit for their age group and there were many young children in the audience.
I may have over-sold it. I’m definitely the biggest animal lover in the family, with my husband in a close second. The kids were less interested. To be fair, most of the kids in the audience clearly loved the show, but my step kids are just less interested in animals than those kids. I also realized that compared with some of the big-budget, Vegas shows that we have seen with them, this simply does not compare. It may be in Vegas, but it is not a “Vegas” show. i knew this from my previous visit, but I didn’t latch on to how much it would let-down the family. I was too focused on the cats.
I would definitely recommend the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater to animal lovers and people who have kids that are animal- obsessed ( which has been me, my whole life), but set your expectations low. This is more cruise-ship level entertainment. Popovich has a lot of heart and the animals are wonderful, but the overall quality of the show is more equivalent to watching a street performer, than it is typical Vegas fare.