Don’t call former Hoboken-based children’s entertainer Ron Albanese the “c-word.” Clown, that is. After 10 years in the children’s entertainment industry, Albanese and his alter ego “POLKA DOT!” continue to spice up the kiddie-fun world with concerts and comedy acts chock full of confetti, costumes and much, much more.
“We’re not going to teach you how to tie your shoes.” – Ron Albanese/POLKA DOT!
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“It’s the show that I always wanted to see [as a kid],” Albanese said. “It’s a really cool escape for kids because they’re part of the show too – either on stage, or with me bouncing around in the audience. There’s confetti, smoke, costumes, props. We’re not going to teach you how to tie your shoes. It’s kiddie rock ‘n’ roll.”
In fact, Albanese says he’s the “King of Kiddie Rock ‘N’ Roll,” with his band THE POLKA DOT PALS. The group has a number of original hits available on iTunes, like “Getting Ready To Go!” and “The Robot From Honolulu!”
“POLKA DOT! is an amped version of my personality,” Albanese said. “It’s the antidote to all kids’ acts standing still and strumming Monkees and Beatles songs. Kids and families want more – something hip, a great escape to jump up and down, laugh, and shout out loud!”
Polkaville
Albanese teaches at a local elementary school, but before that, he cut his comic teeth right here in Hoboken (or “POLKAVILLE!”), where he worked as the editor of the Hudson Current.
“The Current was the coolest place,” Albanese said, “to develop my writing skills in a really creative atmosphere.”
After a few months on the job, he met a singer/songwriter who was moonlighting as a singing telegram messenger for $40 an hour. Albanese liked the idea, so POLKA DOT! was born.
“She told me to come down to the office if I wanted a job,” Albanese said, “so I went on my lunch break and got hired on the spot. The next weekend I was doing costumes performances – anything from the TeleTubbies to Scooby Doo, Elmo, all of the popular characters of the day. I began coming out of my shell as a performer and a career was born.”
But not everything was hunky dory from the get-go.
“There are some really embarrassing pictures of me out there from when I was figuring out what POLKA DOT! really was,” he said. “I tried a lot of different stuff. I even wore a red, curly wig once, and a lot of makeup. But I eventually found POLKA DOT!, which really accentuates and amplifies my personality. He is a multi-farious, multi-media, family-entertainment personality.”
Kiddie Rock ‘n’ Roll
“POLKA DOT! and THE POLKA DOT PALS are a four-on-the-floor, classic rock ‘n’ roll band with deceptively simple tunes,” Albanese said. “Two guitars with a lot of fun parts and mini theatrical vehicles like ‘The Robot From Honolulu.’ ”
“The Robot From Honolulu,” one of POLKA DOT!’s new hit singles, takes children on an island adventure to Honolulu to meet robot surfers along the way.
“After 10 years,” Albanese said, “I never finished a show and said to myself, ‘Wow, that was a bad show.’ It’s just so much fun. And, I’m still learning every day.”
For more information on Ron Albanese/POLKA DOT! visit www.ronalbanese.com.
Sean Allocca can be reached at current@hudsonreporter.com
Name: Ron Albanese
Age: 38 years old
Daytime job: Technology teacher at an elementary school
Coffee: Decaf, but “no one” believes him
Favorite artists: Elvis, KISS, Cheap Trick
Spare time: Collects cereal boxes from the 1970s
Comedic influences: Jack Ritter, Jackie Gleason
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology
Hobbies: Brown-belt in Karate
Current academic fascination: Ancient Rome