Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Circus a way of life for family

American Crown Circus and Circo Osorio perform in Summerlin

Circus

Richard Brian

Circus Performer Memo Perez rides a unicycle during the Summerlin Circus at the Crossings Park Saturday, March 7, 2009.

Circus

Acrobats William and Ingrid walk on a tightrope during the Summerlin Circus at the Crossings Park Saturday, March 7, 2009. Launch slideshow »

Robert Osorio’s father moved the family from Mexico to Texas to give his three sons a chance at a top-notch education and perhaps become doctors and lawyers.

He didn’t mind, however, that the boys joined the circus instead. After all, it’s been the family business for more than 80 years.

After performing for 12 years on the high wire, Robert Osorio, 35, is ringmaster and owner of American Crown Circus and Circo Osorio with his brothers, Frank and Leo.

The boys learned tricks on the trampoline and low wire in the backyard along with juggling and went on to perform those acts around the country finishing at Circus Circus.

“Our father wanted us to forget about the circus. His mistake was that wanted to share a bit of his life with us in the backyard,” Osorio said.

“Once we got the bug in us, we ended up going on our own. He (their father) supported us either way. He wanted for us to get a good education.”

The American Crown Circus and Circo Osorio performed a pair of shows Saturday at Crossings Park in Summerlin. The show goes on again at 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event is open only to Summerlin residents.

The brothers are the fourth generation of circus owners. Their family has run El Coloso De Las Americas Circo Osorio for 83 years and El Circo De Choya for 25 years in Mexico.

Based in Las Vegas, the one-ring show is a throwback to the traveling circuses of high-wire acts, acrobats and clowns in the days before the extravaganza of Cirque du Soleil.

Summerlin resident Sarah Ramirez took her 13-year-old daughter, Maya, to her first circus.

Maya was amazed at the “Globe of Death,” in which two performers ride motorcycles in a steel cage sphere. Fortunately for the riders, one wearing red the other in white, the Globe of Death was just a name. That didn’t stop Maya from worrying about them.

“The guy with the red, I was scared that his head was going to get motorcycled off,” she said.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy