Samuel and Patricia Congello proudly present Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC campus at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 24, 2019. This presentation is part of the 2018-2019 Performing Arts and Leadership Series.

Voted the best family show in Las Vegas, Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a unique blend of physical comedy, award-winning juggling, and the extraordinary talents of more than 30 rescued performing pets. Gregory Popovich was a finalist on America’s Got Talent and has performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Gregory Popovich, producer and star of the show, and his entourage of 30 rescued furry four-legged performers have traveled and performed throughout the United States and all over the world. Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented theatrical circus, a blend of unique physical comedy starring the extraordinary talents of performing pets rescued from animal shelters across the country. Audiences will witness acts such as the Dog Classroom, the Amazing House-Cats, and the Animal Train Station.

The show also includes surprise appearances from more animal performers, including trained doves, parrots, goats, and even a miniature horse named Diamond. Acrobats, mimes, and contortionists join the award-winning Gregory Popovich, who has won numerous juggling awards and is known as one of the top three best jugglers of the world. Currently, he holds the world record in a balancing/juggling feat in which he stands atop a nine-foot freestanding ladder and juggles nine rings.

Popovich, a fifth generation circus performer, learned early on how to develop strong bonds with animals. He has rescued a majority of his performers from shelters and transformed them into Las Vegas stars. Gregory Popovich is a lifelong advocate of animal rights. He has participated in fundraisers for animal shelters and neutering programs across the nation. Public-service announcements promoting responsible pet adoption are staples of Popovich’s Comedy Pet Theater.

“When people see these amazing, healthy animals on stage and decide to adopt an animal from a shelter themselves, my main message has reached the audience,” says Popovich, who grew up backstage with pets frequently his only playmates. He bonded closely with the dogs and cats, learning to communicate via words, signals, and body language. Today, the furry or feathered performers in Comedy Pet Theater live in comfortable quarters as members of Gregory’s extended household in Las Vegas. Those who grow too old for the stage live in pampered retirement. Popovich is a master animal trainer who employs positive-reinforcement techniques in his training —coaching individual animals to perform tasks based on their natural habits. He has shared his expertise for raising, training and living harmoniously with pets in two books: You CAN Train Your Cat: Secrets of a Master Cat Trainer, and Doggy Gone Good: A Master’s Guide to Teaching Manners, Tricks and Healthy Habits.

To learn more about Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, visit their website at www.comedypet.com or watch a video at https://www.niacc.edu/palvideos

For tickets to the show, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-466-4222, extension 4188. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.niacc.edu/boxoffice.

The Broadway sponsor for the 2018-2019 Performing Arts and Leadership Series is Pritchard Family Auto Stores.

Platinum sponsors include Samuel & Patricia Congello, Elizabeth Muse Norris Foundation, Globe Gazette, Lee Foundation, Mason City Clinic, Mercy Medical Center of North Iowa, and Principal Financial Group.

Gold sponsors include Neurosurgery of North Iowa Drs. Beck and Bhangoo, First State Bank Belmond, Dean Genth & Dr. Gary Swenson, First Citizens National Bank, Henkel Construction Company, Historic Park Inn, MBT Bank and the Hanson Family Foundation, Dr. Bryan and Alicia Navarette, Northwood State Bank, North Iowa Eye Clinic P.C., Stratford Foundation, Sukup Manufacturing Co., Holiday Inn Express, KGLO, KIMT, and North Iowa Broadcasting.

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