At Circus Vargas, Alex Acero Mines Clowning Gold

Who is he, this scampering little rascal of mischief currently holding court at Circus Vargas named Alex Acero?  Whomever he is, in his best moments — wish there had been more — I thought I was watching about the best damn circus clown in America.  At the moment. 

Big Apple, anybody back there listening?

During a full and fabulous trampoline workout against a high wall, Acero worms his way into the routine like a sly invading pixie  —  grabbing audience attention with amusing  body animations laterally and off angle — his legs and arms twirling like those of a Warner Bros. carton character.  

Such a perfect pleasure!  So unexpected!   How I wish I could have seen more of him, and him alone in the ring, instead of his recurring excursions into the house to recruit volunteers for another you-know-what.  

Back a little later, after being run out of the ring by show host Jon Weiss,  Acero steals another moment atop the ring curb, taking a tiny little hoop in hand and spinning it around the tip of his pointed hair extension, itself resembling the protruding bow of a ship.    Loved it.  Pure genius.

Bello, you've got competition!

His one big misstep is to insert his acrobat talents, sans comedy, into the opening of the flying trapeze display.  The clown disappears from view.  It would be like your favorite comedian coming back between monologues to seriously recite Shakespeare.  Or the Bible.  And clearly not for laughs.

And then, it dawned on me. I think I saw this Acero a few years back on Carson & Barnes,  and didn’t think much, blame it on his soon spending more time with audience volunteers.  He does here at Vargas, too, but before those excursion bloom into humdrum filler, I witnessed a a world class funny face at work. The above picture is from Alex's C&B days.   

Give me a circus in which Alex Acero is ordered to say out of the audience. To stay put in the ring.  He is a ton funnier on his own.  Know what might happen?  The audience might get a ton larger.

Anything wrong with that?