A Soviet circus troupe arrives in the United States, where a clown struggles with the desire to defect but lacks the courage. Meanwhile, his saxophonist friend finds the resolve to defect amidst the chaos of Bloomingdale's department store. He befriends a black security guard and falls for an Italian immigrant working behind the perfume counter. As he navigates the American dream, he pursues a career in music.

Moscow on the Hudson
A saxophonist's life takes a drastic turn when he defects from the USSR during a shopping trip with a circus troupe, only to discover that assimilating into American life proves to be a far more daunting task than he had initially thought.