Beat Goes On Through Karamazov's "Club" Show

 

by Bob Boardman

 

The Flying Karamazov Brothers (minus Randy Nelson, who's on a

leave of absence) recently premiered a new touring show called "Club. " The production is still evolving, so the show reviewed below (seen in early October) may differ a bit from the one coming soon to a theatre near you.

 

The house lights dim as the audience quiets to an expectant hush. For a moment the stage is dark. Then, the sudden glare of lights and the Flying Karamazov Brothers begin to juggle. No words or music, only the precise unison slap of club to hand as the K's weave through an intricate pattern they call the "square­dance. " Circling each other in pairs, partners change as every conceivable sort of pass is tossed. The routine flows seamlessly, held together by the perfect rhythm of the catches. A final pass, catch, bow, blackout and applause.

 

A moment later, Ivan and Dmitri (Howard Patterson and Paul Magid) take to the stage. "In the beginning," Ivan intones, "there was nothing. Then there was light."

 

"So there was still nothing," Dmitri quips, "but at least you could see it!"

 

'Then..." Ivan continues, "there was juggling. " And juggling is what the Karamazov's new show is all about.

 

"There are seven parts to juggling," Ivan says. The rest of the show is built loosely (sometimes very loosely) on illustrating that premise. The parts are solo, duet, trio, quartet, hardware, jazz and music. But of course, there's more.

In a world full of good technical jugglers, the Karamazov's special skill has been to mix juggling with comedy, mime, music and drama to create that rare and

elusive commodity - an entertaining night at the theatre.

 

One tenet of the Karamazov method is that music equals juggling. Another is to keep the action as manic as possible. The two combine early in the first act as I van and Dmitri sing, tap dance, play "I'm forever blowing bubbles" on both nose flute and marimba while juggling the mallets and chewing gum simultaneously.

 

"Club" reprises a few favorite routines and characters from past shows. The Gamble is back, where audience members vote on three objects for Patterson to attempt to juggle. So are Paolo Barechesto ("Animal to friends") and Igor, who team up to expand the frontiers of science and animal husbandry.

This time, the pair subdue a cage full of rare African Killer Fireflies. When the beasts escape, the sketch neatly segues into a visually stunning club swinging routine. Glowing pins spin against a black backdrop to the tune of "Flight of the Bumblebee."

 

After intermission, the lights come up on a stage set like a back alley. littered with empty bottles, cardboard boxes and random Karamazovs sleeping off the night before.

 

The drunks stir and begin a musical interlude that builds from atonal improvisation on tuned bottles to a dramatic taiko drum climax - juggled clubs pounding out the beat. Finally Smerdyakov (Sam Williams) notes a peculiar flask and the memories flood back. It is, we learn, "The Maltese Flagon."