FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 20, 2018 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 77
buzz
Warmest Christmas at Secret Theatre
A VIEW FROM
THE CLIFF
BY CLIFF KASDEN
Bayside boutique owner closes to pursue path as life coach and healer
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Aft er 16 years of making her customers
feel good through “retail therapy,”
Margaret Ioannou of Karma Boutique in
Bayside is shutting down by the end of
the month.
Plastered on the store’s windows at
38-27 Bell Blvd. is a 50 percent off sale
sign and a personal letter from Ioannou
informing customers of her bittersweet
decision.
“I have had many successful years and
I am forever grateful. However, my life
has shift ed in the last year and I have an
understanding of my life purpose and
mission here,” wrote Ioannou.
Her last day in business is Dec. 31 in
order to start 2019 “fresh and new.”
Th e store owner told Th e Courier that
she underwent a “personal transformation”
over the past year stemming from
hardships in her own life.
“I just realized that what I was doing my
whole life — coaching people and making
them feel well while they were shopping
in the store as well — I just realized that’s
the path I want to put 100 percent focus
on, because I believe that the world needs
a little more healing than they do clothing,”
Ioannou said.
Ioannou has been working in the retail
clothing business since the age of 12
when she started at her mother’s lingerie
store in Astoria. Th e Bayside High School
alumna began a career in advertising but
realized her dream was to open her own
retail store.
So at 22, she pooled the money from
her savings to open the Bayside shop,
which was then a lingerie store known as
Azure. She eventually began selling clothing
items and became a “one-stop shop”
for women’s apparel.
For the past year, the Long Island resident
said she has been practicing as a life
coach as well as performing Reiki, a form
of Japanese energy healing. Ioannou said
that these are things that she wants to
pursue during the “next chapter” of her
life in her quest to make people feel good
about themselves.
“Clothing helps, but clothing helps the
outside of you and I just want to focus on
healing people from the inside out and
making them feel good. I was doing that
for many years and now I understand my
purpose and I just wanna fully focus on
that,” she said.
Ioannou said that the reactions from
customers were mixed when they found
out she was closing.
“A lot of people came in and started
crying. A lot of people expressed what
I’ve done for them their whole life. It was
very touching,” she said. “It’s amazing to
see how many people’s lives I’ve touched
within the last 16 years. I’m grateful that
I was part of this community and people
were part of my own journey in life.”
She added, “It was never just about selling
clothes for me; it was a little bit more
personal. It was more than providing just
a service to them. My customers, a lot
of them became my personal friends; I
met some of my best friends from this
store.”
Th e single mother of three daughters
shared that it’s been tough raising her
children while working long hours at the
shop but her new career path will allow
her to spend more time with them.
“My girls are happy,” she said. “Th ey’re
a little sad about the store because they
were raised here, so they’re a little sad to
let the store go. But they are aware and
they do understand that mommy’s gonna
be more available to them.”
When Karma closes, Ioannou hopes to
continue being a life coach and welcomes
all of her customers to her “new journey in
life.” Eventually, she wants to set up another
business where people can come to her
for their needs including healing and motivational
speaking for people of all ages.
To learn more about what’s next for
Ioannou, visit her Instagram @loveandlight_
810. Th ose interested can also
call her 718-496-8536 or email mioannou1016@
gmail.com.
Photo: Jenna Bagcal/THE COURIER
Margaret Ioannou at Karma Boutique
Sometimes theatrical warmth is transmitted
by spotlights, sometimes by
unfeeling heating units. But the best
warmth is still the unmistakable aff ection
between family and friends.
On opening night, the intimate theatre
is fi lled. In every seat, smiling grandparents,
young couples and especially wideeyed
kids are holding hands or leaning
their heads on loved one’s shoulders.
Clearly, the latest incarnation of “A
Charlie Brown Christmas” directed by
Joy Donze is delighting audiences of all
ages. Th eir home for this project is founder/
executive producer Richard Mazda’s
Secret Th eatre in Long Island City. Th is
version is intended for the little ones with
a drop of grown-up savvy.
Th e show runs between 45 minutes
and an hour for the benefi t of those with
naturally short attention spans. Even so,
a toddler in the fi rst row, completely
oblivious to the “fourth wall” between
actors and audience innocently calls out
“Charlie, Charlie!” His off ering of bitesized
candy to the performers is priceless.
A diff erent member of Secret Th eatre’s
teaching programs is part of each show.
On the fi rst night, attired in yellow,
fi ft h-grader Beckett Lopez portrays the
bird Woodstock.
Th e set is warm and fuzzy with artifi
cial snow painted on the fl oor and
draped across a friendly looking fence
(Paul T. Kennedy lighting/scenic designer,
Samantha Cancellarich scenic painter).
Th e musical director Joe Marx
plays Schroeder. Th e drummer (Noah
Hadland) and bassist Ben Sheppard are
beaming with the holiday spirit.
Th e story itself unfolds with sweet simplicity;
a scrawny tree is brought to its
fi nest holiday strength and beauty. It
just requires some love and care from
Charlie and his friends. Once the tale
is told, the remaining 15 minutes are
devoted to very traditional Christmas
carols.
Th e adults portraying Charlie Brown
(Darren Cementina) and his neighborhood
pals are well played and easily
recognizable. Kudos to Linus (Matthew
James Anderson), Snoopy (Koyu Ugiya),
Lucy (Annabelle Fox), Sally (Sarah Joy
Kane), Frieda (Emily Brennan), Pig
Pen (Hunter Walsh), Violet (Audrey
Yeoman), Shermy (Kevin Gonzalez) and
Peppermint Patty (Hope Salvan). Wellearned
bows as well to Cassaundra Marie
(costume design), Justin Hsu (production
manager), Elizabeth Weber (production
stage manager) and box offi ce
supervisor Tara Mary Schmitt.
For information on this and future
productions, call the box offi ce at 718-
392-0722, visit www.secrettheatre.com
or “like” them on Facebook. As always,
save me a seat on the aisle.
link
link
link
/www.secrettheatre.com
