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Rainy skies, bright smiles: Port Jeff Station/Terryville chamber ignites fall fun

by TBR Staff - October 6, 2023

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Members of the Backstage Studio of Dance attend Family Fun Day at Port Jefferson Station’s Train Car Park. Photo courtesy Joan Nickeson

By Aramis Khosronejad

Over the rainy weekend and despite the weather, the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, determined to kick start the fall season, hosted a community celebration on Saturday, Sept. 30.

The chamber held its annual Family Fun Day celebration at the Train Car Park in Port Jeff Station, where this unique site goes well beyond Saturday’s festivities.

Members of the League of Women Voters table during the event. Photo courtesy Joan Nickeson

The chamber is “trying to make it the hub of Port Jeff Station,” said PJSTCC president Jennifer Dzvonar. “We’re trying to bring a central sense of community here.”

Family Fun Day has taken place since 2018. However, this year was the first the event was back after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors. The event consisted of many local vendors and businesses, various performances, games for children and adults, and apple pie and scarecrow contests.

One of the local businesses that performed at the event was the Backstage Studio of Dance, a volunteer group that teaches young adults various dances, including ballet and boys hip hop, among others. “My kids can perform and not feel pressure of competition or anything else,” said Gwenn Capodieci, the executive director of the dance studio. “They’re just up there having fun.”

Pies are on display. Photo courtesy Joan Nickeson

Capodieci added what this event means for the community: “Support your local business while having fun with your family.”

Dzvonar noted that the event aims to “bring something to our community that encompasses everybody — the local businesses, families, our community.”

The original incentive, she added, was to create a simple, fun space where families can gather and enjoy each other’s company while supporting their local businesses.

Dzvonar also mentioned how the event “is really highlighting our kids, our next generation and our future.”

Shoreham-Wading River field hockey enjoys big shutout victory over Babylon

by Bill Landon - October 6, 2023

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Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats stand alone atop the Division II field hockey standings as only one of two teams that remain undefeated in Suffolk County. The Wildcats made short work of visiting Babylon with a 7-0 shutout victory at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field Monday, Oct. 2.

Maddi Herr led the way for the Wildcats with three goals, Sophia Minnion had one goal and three assists, while Haylie Abrams rocked the box with another goal. Mae Kilkenny and Kayla Corso rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats with one goal apiece. Goalkeeper Maggie Andersen had a quiet day protecting the box.

The win lifts Shoreham-Wading River to 10-0 overall just beyond the midway point in the season. The team has allowed only two goals against, with five games remaining before postseason play begins.

— Photos by Bill Landon

Slip sliding away: Ward Melville girls soccer beats Northport 2-0

by Steven Zaitz - October 6, 2023

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By Steven Zaitz

A soggy day got even soggier for the Northport Lady Tiger soccer team, as it dropped a 2-0 decision to its top-of-the-table rival and reigning New York State champion Ward Melville this past Saturday.

The Lady Patriots scored one very early and another very late to secure the win and, in between, used a suffocating brand of defense that allowed Northport nary a chance to even sniff a scoring opportunity. This was an especially impressive feat by Ward Melville, considering Northport had obliterated Walt Whitman two days earlier, 7-0.

Lady Pat senior Peyton Costello scored on a penalty kick in the 16th minute of the game, her eighth goal of the year, and freshman Aliyah Leonard knocked in a header off a gorgeous centering pass from Marissa Tonic with 13 minutes remaining for the knockout punch. Leonard was able to get a large piece of not only the ball, but Tiger goalkeeper Kaleigh Howard’s arm, as Howard was rising up to catch Tonic’s curving crosser. Howard never gained control and the ball squirted free and over the goal line.

The Lady Patriot defense did the rest. Fullbacks and sisters Adriana and Ale’ Victoriano were twin terrors on the backline with Sarah Jablonsky, Samantha Ruffini and Tonic at center midfield. The Patriots forced Tiger stars Madison Howard, Jamie Inzerillo and Brooke Heffernan into slippery decisions and often missed connections as Ward Melville goalkeeper Kate Ronzoni had a reasonably easy day at the office.

Northport had outscored its previous five opponents by a combined 21-2. Saturday in Setauket, however, was a different story for the Lady Tigers as they mustered only two shots at Ronzoni’s net.

For the Patriots, it’s business as usual. Only one team scored against them all season and it was non-league Syosset. Ward Melville won that game anyway 7-2. So far this season, nine other teams have tried and failed to slip one past Ronzoni — including Northport.

“Our team is a mix of such good players from different club teams in Suffolk,” senior captain Tonic said. “Everyone works so well together, and we have such a great defensive shape.”

Ward Melville remains undefeated at 9-0-1 and has used that defensive shape to achieve a goal differential of 32-2 this year. Northport falls to 7-2-2.

The game was played just hours after historic amounts of rain fell across Long Island and while the rain had tapered off considerably at game time, it was still played under slick conditions. Northport wasn’t using it as an excuse.

“Ward Melville has a very strong defense,” said junior captain and striker Madison Howard, who is Kaleigh’s sister. “I think we came out a little tentatively because there was a lot of hype surrounding this game. But if and when we see them again in the playoffs, we’ll know what to do.”

With their unblemished 8-0 record in Suffolk Division I, Ward Melville has a simple focus — repeat as state champs.

“We have a completely different team now than we had last year,” Costello said. “We are very young but still very hungry to win it all again.”

Northport, also with lofty aspirations, is now a respectable 6-2-1 in the division and currently seeded fifth. The top two teams in the conference will earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The victory by Ward Melville was a big step toward that pot of gold, but Northport is not done chasing that rainbow.

“We always try to stay positive,” Madison Howard said. “We will win as many games as we can and see where we end up.”

With opponents including Connetquot and Commack in the coming days, the Lady Tigers hope to crank up the machine again and render this loss a wet and wild one-off.

Ward Melville intends to keep the good times rolling with upcoming games against Bay Shore, Connetquot and Walt Whitman.

Onward and Upward: A tribute to Dom Famularo

by TBR Staff - October 6, 2023

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By Michael Tessler

In the face of great loss, we often grapple with the inexplicable question of how someone so full of life could ever truly be gone. These past few days, I have wrestled with this question, trying to reconcile the vibrant spirit of Dom Famularo with the solemn reality of his passing on Sept. 27 at the age of 70.

Undoubtedly, there will be countless tributes to the legacy of this marvel of a man. I’m sharing with you just one experience on how he changed the trajectory of my life.

I first had the privilege of meeting Mr. Famularo when I was just a fourth-grader. His son and I became fast friends. His eldest son proudly declared his dad was famous. Turns out, he was telling the truth!

Mr. Famularo was one of the greatest drummers of our time, described as the “global ambassador of drumming” who traveled the world teaching his craft. His students and admirers included famous names from nearly every genre of music and hailed from every habitable continent.

He was more than a musician. He was a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur, and a public servant. His generosity knew no bounds, touching the lives of countless individuals.

He was a world-traveler, a man who often knew more about a place than the locals who called it home. He was a student of history, who somehow found time to be well-read on subjects that spanned all eras of history.

For years, I’ve had the good fortune to consider myself an honorary Famularo. Their cousins felt like my cousins, and we shared countless family gatherings and experiences that bound us together.

There was a time when I moved back to New York, feeling lost in life. I had no place to live, no job, no college degree, and no clear direction. It was Dom and his incredible wife Charmaine who took me in, offering me a bed and ensuring I had something to eat.

It was Mr. Famularo who inadvertently kickstarted my film career. One morning while I was moping in their kitchen, ready to throw in the towel on a fruitless job hunt, he gave me a pep talk and suggested I peruse the Classifieds in the Port Times Record. It was there that I found my job selling advertisements that would eventually lead to my work on TBR News Media’s first feature film.

Those were tough days, filled with long hours and a juggling act of night classes at a community college, full-time work, and a part-time job at a pawn shop on the weekends. Yet, every morning as I quietly had breakfast and sipped on coffee, Dom would come downstairs, as if ready for battle, energized and full of life, exclaiming, “MIKEY BOY! IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING!”

Living with Dom answered the question, “Is he really like this ALL the time?” The answer was an unequivocal yes. Dom’s magic lay in his ability to light up a room with his presence, to make everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world. Quick-witted, smart, and full of innuendo, he had the remarkable ability to make even those who were upset with him burst into laughter and be in awe of his charm.

Despite being a famous musician with a massive international fanbase, Dom Famularo gave himself wholeheartedly to this community. He somehow found time to serve on committees, becoming an expert on matters as mundane as metered parking. Even in his final months, he found the strength to go to Village Hall and confront a bully. He was a public servant, a true advocate for his community, a relentless voice for reason, kindness, and doing what is right.

But Dom’s secret power was not his public speaking ability, his magnificent drumming, nor his uncanny ability to make you feel like the most important person in the world. Of all the things to admire about Dom Famularo, it was his family that shone the brightest.

Dom’s parents were remarkable, a testament to the greatest generation. He and his siblings carried forward their legacy. I’d never seen such a close-knit and special family before. His pride and joy were his three boys. Each unique, kind, brilliant, generous, and, like their father, hysterical.

Of all his great achievements, none rivals marrying Charmaine. He would be the first to admit that she was his better half. In addition to raising three incredible boys, she managed to build Dom’s drumming empire, and has always been his secret weapon. Her strength, her heart, and her remarkable resilience never stops leaving me in awe.

Our last conversation was at the beginning of summer. Somehow, despite a ferocious battle with cancer, he found the energy to greet me with that same familiar “MIKEY BOY!” that I had heard countless times before. I will treasure that conversation forever.

Mr. Famularo, you gave me a home when I had none. You gave me a purpose when I was lost. You believed in me before I believed in myself. You spent your life hoping to leave a mark, to make a difference, to live relentlessly — you did more than that. You’ve inspired countless others to do the same. You are magnificent, the embodiment of magic, and more than anything you are loved now and forever.

So I’ve found the answer to my question. Dom’s mantle is not one that any single individual will ever be able to carry, but between all of us who knew him and have loved him — we will ensure his light will never diminish. As we find a way to move onward, Dom moves upward. Serving now as a great North Star, reminding us just how bright we can shine…if only we’re willing to share our light.

Illuminations 2023: The Many Faces of Home heads to Heckscher Museum of Art

by Tara Mae - October 6, 2023

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Illuminationspg9 — 'Illuminations' will be presented during the Long Island Fall Festival on Oct. 7 and 8. Photo courtesy of Heckscher Museum

By Tara Mae

As Columbus Day weekend draws near, many look forward to the annual Long Island Fall Festival at beautiful Heckscher Park in Huntington. Presented by the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, the four day event, from Oct. 6 to 9, will feature carnival rides, an international food court, music, over 300 vendors, and much more.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a multimedia art installation titled Illuminations 2023: The Many Faces of Home.

If home is where the heart is, then leaving one home for another is perhaps a sort of heart transplant. A fresh lease on life: wistful and wondrous. On Oct. 7 and 8, from 7 to 8 p.m., the digital art show will spotlight the physical and emotional journeys immigrants undertake as they settle in foreign places and seek to make them familiar.

Featuring the work by Stony Brook University adjunct art professor and digital artist Han Qin as well as other international artists, this digital art show features three intricately connected yet distinctive works, which will be projected onto the facade of an artistic hearth: the Heckscher Museum of Art located in Heckscher Park.

“It feels like the perfect space for such an event,” said Heather Arnet, Executive Director of the Heckscher Museum.

My New Home, by Qin, depicts and celebrates the immigration experience through a 3D image projection showing portraits of diverse community members who immigrated to Huntington and made it home.

Journey Home, also by Qin, is an animated film projection. In ocean hues, it spotlights a school of fish that transforms into groups of people swimming to their new island home.

The Grand Finale is a collaborative collection of engaging animation by six different international artists: Blake Carrington, Koi Ren, Yehwan Song, Silent Desautels, Shuyi Li, and Colton Arnold.

The show is choreographed to original music composed by Professor Margaret Schedel, co-director of Stony Brook University’s Computer Music Program. “Margaret’s music…has dark energy that transforms into immense joy,” Illuminations co-curator Chiarina Chen said.

Shown consecutively, the elements of Illuminations likewise take patrons on a sojourn of the soul: from pensive introspection to audacious hope. The show immerses its audience in artistic excavation of existential inquiries.

These questions were initially posited by Qin as part of her continuous exploration of, and meditation on, the identity quandaries immigrants may endure as they transition from their homeland to the precarious promise of a settled future.

“My digital art piece works with the community of immigrants who speak different languages on Long Island. Its purpose is to show this group of marginalized immigrants — who they are looking to become or who their kids are looking to become, who holds the community together…this is a self-help project to figure out who those immigrants become,” Qin said.

Such an investigation is personal for Qin who, during lockdown, began examining feeling adrift in her own immigrant identity: not quite of China, her nation of birth, nor the United States, her country of choice.

“I was looking for a way to find people who know who they are,” Qin added. She got involved with different organizations that focused on the immigrant experiences of adolescents and adults. The relationships she formed through these endeavors answered questions her art was striving to ask.

With a New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA) grant processed through the Patchogue Arts Council, she was able to develop her artistic thesis from a intuitive theory into an expansive experience.

As Qin crafted personal connections that revealed uncovered communal correlations, she utilized her professional network to recruit colleagues in curating and creating the third segment of Illuminations.

“We invited six very interesting, talented international artists of various backgrounds. We have six parts in that: traversing memories, dreams, identities that are searching for belonging-cohesive with unique parts…digital art can be a public art form that brings people together, a sort of enchantment,” Chen said. “When connected stories are projected on the building, it becomes another level of togetherness.”

Schedel’s music both belies and enhances the union. She composed six segments of music. Each has its own tempo and mini theme that nonetheless coalesces into a cohesive whole. Included in the piece are interviews with community leaders as well as water sounds; many people interviewed mentioned water as part of their immigration experience.

“It is a piece of music I composed to go along with the timeline that Han and I developed together, thinking of structure, movement, and emotion,” Schedel said.

In its entirety, Illuminations is a medley of form, motion, and feeling. At its essence, the art is an overture of communal acceptance and understanding.

“Illuminations celebrates immigrants, their influence on our community, and why they chose Long Island…It [seems] like a wonderful opportunity for the museum,” Arnet said.

This is the Hecksher Museum’s first exhibition specifically designed for the Long Island Fall Festival, although the concept of home is one that is currently studied in its Raise the Roof exhibit, which is a study of the spaces people inhabit.

Arnet approached Qin, who has pieces in the museum’s permanent collection, about doing a digital art projection on the front of the building. Qin was already in the process of developing My New Home and Journey Home. Illuminations was born of those discussions.

“What is exciting is that we are trying something new, which always involves risk. This is innovative, we are trying out the unknown, none of us quite know what it will be like…I am very interested in moving beyond four walls, engaging community in unique ways,” Arnet said.

Illuminations 2023: The Many Faces of Home at the Heckscher Museum of Art, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington is free to the public. For more information, call 631-380-3230 or visit www.heckscher.org

Long Island Game Farm announces exciting new programs for the fall

by Press Release - October 6, 2023

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The Long Island Game Farm, 489 Chapman Blvd., Manorville has announced a new slate of programming, hosted by their nonprofit arm, the Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc., to begin this fall for adults and families. The recently renovated Woodland Hall will host a number of events beginning in October, including iPhone photography classes and art sketch sessions. Preschoolers can enjoy zoo adventures on the game farm, learning about and meeting some of the resident animals.

“One of our primary goals with Woodland Hall is to offer meaningful programs to the community,” shares Long Island Game Farm president Melinda Novak. “We’ve had great success with our special social club for seniors in August and September, and we’re now excited to expand on programs to educate the public about wildlife in fun ways. The sketch sessions will be particularly exciting!”

Sketch Our Animals

Sundays, October 11 & 19 at 2 p.m.

Participants will bring their sketch pads and drawing tools to Long Island Game Farm’s Woodland Hall to see and sketch select resident animals up close during an open session. This adult program is $20 per person, or $15 per person if registered and paid in advance. Park admission is separate and will be 50% off for the day.

Phone Photography with Anthony Graziano

Sunday, October 22 at 11 a.m.

This intensive four-hour adult workshop will take participants beyond basic iPhone snapshots and provide the skills to create art-quality photographs. Anthony Graziano will guide participants through camera setup, guidelines for taking pictures and fundamental photographic techniques, and basic editing tips. The class will begin indoors and then move outside to reinforce learnings with personalized instruction in an inspiring natural setting. The class is $125 per person and includes admission to Long Island Game Farm. Advance reservations are required.

Zoo Adventures for Little Ones

Fridays Oct. 27 & Nov. 3 @ 10:30 a.m.

For preschoolers, the Long Island Game Farm will offer a special program introducing little ones to the zoo. A wildlife educator will offer a close-up look at some of the animals, followed by a story or art activity. The program is $25 for one caregiver and one child. Additional children are $20 each. If registered and paid in advance, the rate will be reduced by $5. Park admission is separate and will be 50% off for the day.

The Long Island Game Farm is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make a reservation for any of the above events, visit longislandgamefarm.com or call 631-878-6644.

Edward Jones office cuts ribbon on new location in Port Jefferson

by Heidi Sutton - October 5, 2023

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The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce (PJCC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the new offices for Edward Jones Financial Advisor Michael Sceiford on Sept. 26. The event was attended by members of the chamber, Port Jefferson Village Board, Port Jefferson Rotary Club, staff, family and friends.

Located at 640 Belle Terre Road, Building B, in Port Jefferson, the investment firm helps its customers prepare for retirement, save for education and be a tax-smart investor.

“We congratulate Michael on his new location and beautiful office suites and we wish him much success,” said PJCC’s Director of Operations Barbara Ransome.

Pictured in photo, from left, chamber member Suzanne Velazquez; chamber president Stuart Vincent; Edward Jones Associate Financial Advisor Tracy Prush; Edward Jones Branch Office Administrator Pam Guido; Stephanie Sceiford with children Claire and Harvey; Michael Sceiford (with scissors); chamber members Nancy Bradley and Brett Davenport; Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay; Bob Huttemeyer from the Port Jefferson Rotary; and chamber members Risa Kluger, Michelle Cruz, Saranto Calamas, Andrew Thomas (seated), Eric D. Cherches Esq. and Mary Joy Pipe.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 631-928-2034.

Grief and Honor: Losing a grandparent in your thirties

by Stephanie Giunta - October 5, 2023

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Josephine Eichner 2 — Josephine Eichner and Stephanie Giunta in October 2020.

By Stephanie Giunta

There is no sound when a heart breaks. You can hear glass shatter when it falls to the floor. The crash of two cars colliding. The scream of someone in pain. But the heart can break into a million little pieces, and no one can hear. An orchestra of one; a violin with no strings.

That is how I felt when I lost my Grandma this September. I had front row seats to a symphony of sadness.

You see, an adult relationship with a grandparent transcends all things. It is metaphorically magical in a way that you can’t quite put your finger on. Though generations apart, you are both learning from and guiding one another down different paths, writing new chapters while rereading the old.

Josephine Eichner and Stephanie Giunta in December 1994.

Her wit and witticism preceded her. Her sharp remarks, sarcasm, and sing-song responses are the tiny characteristics of her personality that have taken up permanent real estate in my brain.

She endured much — cancer, twice — and never once complained. I, on the other hand, will miss complaining to her and getting a stern “Stephanie” accompanied with an eye roll and a slap on the wrist.

Grandma was not one who loved the limelight. But I saw a sparkle in her eye like no other on her 90th birthday when I accompanied her to the Rose Caraccappa Center in Mount Sinai for her Tuesday senior club meeting back in February. Her fluffy white hair and pink lipstick were perfectly complemented by the tiara she donned, and I can’t think of a moment in my lifetime where I felt prouder to be her granddaughter than that very day.

My memories of her as a child were wonderful, but somewhere along our journey, we turned a corner in our relationship. We became more like girlfriends, and in many ways, she was my second mother. I ran to her for advice; with my worries; my happiness; my drama. She didn’t know all of the answers, but she sure knew how to listen. Sitting with her while nursing a cup of coffee at the kitchen table was nothing less than therapeutic.

Josephine Eichner and Stephanie Giunta in October 2020.

She was there for all of my major milestones: birthdays, graduations, engagement, marriage, and the birth of my daughter, who carries her namesake. Their relationship was truly one-of-a-kind. She called her “My Baby” and each morning, promptly at or around 6:00 a.m., I would text her with a new photo or video from the day before. This became our daily ritual for almost two years without fail.

Towards the end, I watched Grandma morph into the final version of herself. I shed many tears knowing that her days were numbered as I began asking myself how I was going to find the strength to move on without one of my best friends; my texting buddy; my chit chatter; the one who I’d split a roast beef with relish on rye with.

During one of our last conversations, I told her, “You know how much I love you, right?” to which she replied with a breathless, yet sassy and adamant, “YES!” She then asked me to brush her hair — something she did for me as a little girl. Our stories had shifted, and our roles had reversed.

As she slept, I memorized her. I studied the curve of her face, the up and down of her chest. The silvery white of her hair that curled on the ends. The skin tag on her forehead — the exact same one that I had inherited. The fine lines on her cheeks, which were the product of a long and fruitful life.

Still, with the platinum hoops in her ears and smiley face slippers afoot, she was Grandma. And she carried with her a cornucopia of memories and conversations, laughter and tears. I kissed her forehead, squeezed her hand, and told her how much I loved her every day until I didn’t see her again.

Josephine Eichner and her great granddaughter in July 2023.

More than anything, I will miss the little things — like every Christmas season, hearing that my molasses cookies don’t look as good as hers; watching her cradle my child; calling her every time The Wedding Date is on television; shimmying the flower pot over on my front porch, so she could get up the steps and into my house; her telling my husband that he needed to put a sign on our basement door to distinguish it from the bathroom.

When you lose someone this special, especially as an adult, no amount of time you spent together will ever be enough. For 33 years, I was lucky enough to have this pillar of strength by my side. Now, the only difference is that she’ll be looking down on me from above.

Rest in peace, Josephine M. Eichner

February 7, 1933 — September 26, 2023

Comsewogue boys soccer holds on for narrow victory over East Hampton

by Bill Landon - October 5, 2023

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The East Hampton Bonackers paid a visit to Comsewogue High School Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 3, with a score to settle having lost, 2-0, to the Warriors in early September. After a goalless first half, it was Comsewogue’s Dylan Raspanti’s header off a corner kick that broke the ice for a 1-0 lead after 25 minutes of second half play.

East Hampton seemed to have the better offensive press, clearly winning the time of possession in the final minutes of the game and testing Comsewogue goalie Ryan Worhle. The junior keeper, however, was able to stave off East Hampton’s late game surge to hold on for the 1-0 victory in the League VI matchup. Worhle had six saves in goal.

With the win, Comsewogue improves to 5-3-0 in league play with four games remaining before postseason play begins.

— Photos by Bill Landon

UNDER THE BIG TOP: Cirque Italia’s Water Circus Gold heads to Smith Haven Mall

by Kevin Redding - October 5, 2023

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Fusco Brothers - Juggling - Jeremy Thomas (7) — The Fusco Brothers perform a juggling act. Photo by Jeremy Thomas/Cirque Italia

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By Kevin Redding

A time-traveling water circus is splashing into town this month to make dreams come true.

For those of all ages seeking thrills in the form of high-stakes performances, aerialists, jugglers, contortionists, trampoliners, archers, and the vibrant, multi-talented Alex the Clown at the center of a unique aquatic spectacle, Cirque Italia’s “Water Circus Gold” comes to life under a big white and blue tent at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove from October 5 to 15.

Cirque Italia, the animal-free, human talent-only entertainment company, which was founded in Italy in 2012, has long blended its high-caliber production values (dazzling lasers, lighting, and its “Wheel of Death” contraption!) with reverence for the history of the European circus scene. Traveling across several cities and states, the show features an elaborate stage that contains 35,000 gallons of water and 27 computers controlling it, and 17 performers spanning 10 countries, from Argentina and Brazil to Ukraine and Romania, to deliver an unforgettable visual and narrative experience.

Get ready for leather jackets, poodle skirts, muscle cars, and Elvis and Little Richard to blare from the jukebox as the show tells the story of a 1950s-obsessed boy, dressed up as Alex the Clown, who goes to sleep and dreams of living in his favorite decade. Waking up in his own vivid dreamscape, he’s guided through the 1950s by grown-up Alex the Clown.

Behind the makeup and red nose is Alex Acero, 39, of Brazil, who has been performing as a clown, ringmaster, juggler, trampoliner, and trapeze artist with Cirque Italia for seven years. In line with the show, he has been dreaming of being in this world since he was a little kid and grew up in the kind of family where he didn’t have to “run away and join the circus.” A third-generation circus performer, Acero’s grandparents on his mother’s side were circus entertainers and his parents met at a carnival and are still actively performing to this day.

“I grew up watching the circus…some kids want to play with trucks, not me. I wanted to be a trapeze artist, I wanted to be a juggler. This is our way to play,” Acero said. “I’d wake up and see elephants, tigers, lions, and camels around me. That was my childhood!”

He officially joined the circus in Brazil at 9 years old, doing a trampoline act with his brother and honing his comedian skills even then. Traveling all over, he and his family would perform in tours that ran four to six months out of the year, with eight shows a week, which meant he was enrolled in at least 12 different schools throughout his childhood. Regular kid by day, circus entertainer by night.

As he got older, he said his passion for the lifestyle never waned. “I wanted to do this since I was a kid, that was always my dream. Growing up, I still have the same dream.”

At 20, he joined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, through which he performed at Madison Square Garden, one of his most cherished memories.

“Now I’m working at one of the best shows in the United States,” Acero said of Cirque Italia. “People can expect a lot of lasers, music, and dance. Everybody asks if we get wet, we don’t. We work around the water. It’s like a huge pool and we have a little stage in the middle.

“During the show, I walk into the audience and ask for a quarter for the jukebox. It’s a show for the whole family.”

And Acero really means it. Not only is his wife, Vanessa Ferrari, a trapeze artist in the show but his daughters, Bianca, 12, and Sophia, 4, have joined the family trade too: Bianca is a dancer and Sophia has a walk-on appearance and shares a jukebox dance with her dad.

“We like to say we are families entertaining families,” Acero said. “And I mean thousands of families!” He takes pride in kids in the crowd loving his trampoline act and taking a piece of the show home with them through little stuffed dolls of Alex the Clown. “One mother said her daughter is 4 years old and she bought a cotton candy for her and she didn’t eat it because she was so entertained watching the show…I love that.”

Another excited performer in the show is Margarita Denysova, 24, originally from Ukraine and now living in New Jersey, who specializes in aerial acts, unicyle-riding, hula hooping, handstands, and juggling. With Cirque Italia for a year and a half, she said her childhood dreams have come to life through her emergence in the circus, which began for her at 18 in the Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo.

“I remember going to a circus when I was about 7,” Denysova said, “and it gave me more questions than answers at that time. Because it was like, ‘It’s not possible!’ ‘How can you walk on the wire!’”

A dancer throughout her youth, she got a taste of her future at a circus school in Ukraine. “I was like ‘Oh my God, they jump, they spin, there’s people doing unicycle…I want to do that!’” She eventually attended the Kyiv Municipal Academy of Variety and Circus Arts, where she learned pantomime, circus history, and how to excel on the circus stage. Though it took some time to convince her parents that this was a fitting path for her, and lots of bad falls in the midst of practicing on the unicycle, she’s exactly where she wants to be.

“I’m good at what I’m doing and I’m enjoying it. You’re making people impressed and happy,” she said. “It’s a cool and unique show in the United States with the water stage we have. And animals should be living a free life, so it’s really good.” Referring to her unicycle training, she laughed, “I’ve fallen so many times, and you’re flying off it and landing on your back! I put a little bit of fear in myself just to have this adrenaline. I’m like, ‘Here we go!’”

Now able to balance on four-wheeled unicycles and juggle multiple pins at the same time, Denysova enjoys making a connection with the audience during Cirque Italia performances—especially the younger members.

“Sometimes in the intermission, I see some kids already doing a walkover and some cartwheels. I’m like ‘Wow! When did you learn this?’ It’s very nice, I like it!”

Cirque Italia will be performing shows October 5th through October 15th in a Big Top stationed in the parking lot at 313 Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. Tickets can be purchased now starting at $10 to $50 depending on availability. For more information on times and tickets, call 941-704-8572 or visit www.cirqueitalia.com.

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