Variety and nostalgia

By Scott Benjamin

Eric Girardi calls his performances both dream-like and also a throwback to the era of the Black & White television.

The 2001 Tolland High School graduate explains, “My show is a nostalgic journey where the audience will see what they just thought of as toys become visual art and beyond what they could imagine.”

He juggles balls, does Yo-Yo tricks, spins tops, eats fire and walks on stilts.

A frequent co-performer Casey Eighme - who grew up in Wallingford and Windsor Locks and now lives in Rhode Island- said, “A lot of these toys were popular in the 1950s, It’s nostalgic for some people. But all ages get excited.”

Said Girardi, 40, “There is a sense of adrenalin that goes with our show. You kind of forget everything else. It is art in motion."

Michael “Mooch” Mucciolo, the owner of the Boston Circus Guild, said, “Eric is extremely talented as a variety entertainer. A lot of performers specialize in one skill. Eric has a breadth of talent and skills.”

Girardi has been performing since 1998. The audiences vary from 15 to 5,000 people.

“Sometimes it is adults, sometimes kids, sometimes families,” Girardi said in a phone interview with Patch.com.

He operates Bending Gravity Entertainment where he books his appearances, mostly at venues along the East Coast. After living in Vernon until recently, he is now based in Bedford, Massachusetts, near Boston.

Girardi has been on the cover of the containers for the Duncan juggling balls and the toy company even issued a trading card. He has had a world ranking among the tops spinners.

But how do you reach the point where you juggle multiple balls, send a Yo-Yo rapid speed in different directions and taste a flame that hotter than the warmest day at Key West and do it as easily as you walk?

This seems more daunting than simultaneously training for the Olympic Decathlon, dashing up the front of the 12-foot wall on Superstars without touching rope, sinking a half court jump hook a' la Globetrotter Curly Neal and successfully completing the Evil Knievel motorcycle jump over the nine cars and one van on a Harley-Davidson at James Madison Square Garden.

“It comes with practice,” Girardi said. “It is repetition. Correct repetition.”

Eighme – who juggles and also performs with multiple hoops, hula hoops and stilts – offered, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Juggling is such a challenging skill because there is so much more room of error. It can be circumstantial. Juggling is one of the hardest skills to perform. It is so hard to perform perfect every single time. You’re bound to have a drop here and there.”

Noel Yee, a member of the Board of Directors of the International Juggling Association, said, “It is a long-term commitment. You’re not going to get bette4r at juggling overnight. It is a skill that goes up a lot over the years. Eric is industrious and he has tenacity.”

But eating fire? That seems more dangerous than trying to climb up the side of the Willis Tower in Chicago.

“It is not as hazardous as it looks,” Girardi said. “As long as you’re doing it correctly, it is generally safe.”:

But Girardi’s performances aren’t just about accomplishing the difficult and invoking nostalgia.

“Eric is good at making it welcoming,” Mucciolo commented. “Being approachable and making a connection in a small amount of time. Just a relaxing breath on stage at the start of the show can put everyone at ease.”

Girardi explained, “Being relaxed and comfortable despite any pre-show jitters is key. I gauge the audience's reactions/emotions and will modify my show on the spot."

Resources:

Phone interview with Eric Girardi, Patch.com, on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

E-mail interview with Eric Girardi, Patch.com, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

Phone interview with Michael “Mooch” Mucciolo, Patch.com, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

Phone Interview with Casey Eighme, Patch.com, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Phone interview with Noel Yee, Patch.com, on Thursday, July 18, 2024.