Karamazovs juggle for 'Life'

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The Flying Karamazov Brothers bring "Life: A Guide for the Perplexed" to a pair of shows at Leeward Community College Theatre this weekend. The brothers don't fly, but lots of objects do. 'Life: A Guide For The Perplexed' 8 p.m. Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday Leeward Community College Theatre $22 general, $15 students and seniors 455-0385

But the four-man troupe has wowed audiences around the world for three decades with a mix of comedy and freakishly intricate juggling skills.

"Life: A Guide for the Perplexed" is the Karamazovs' current stage production, hosted by Leeward Community College Theatre this weekend.

Mark Ettinger — who goes by the name Alexei Karamazov on stage — has been a member of the fictional siblings for six years.

We peppered him with as many stupid questions as he could handle.

You're one of the only Flying Karamazovs with musical training, Mark. Was your audition for the Brothers closer in comparison to trying for the David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar/Gary Cherone spot in Van Halen, or getting on "American Idol"?

(Laughs.) Well, it wasn't like "American Idol." They knew me already, and I was the only guy being auditioned. So it wasn't about jumping through a series of hoops along with a bunch of other people, and having that list endlessly culled. It was more like, 'Let's see if he's still living after this next test. And let's hope he is, because we're all putting our eggs in this basket.' ... Their argument was that they wanted to find a musician that was better than they were.

"Life: A Guide for the Perplexed" is described as a series of funny and informative stories on middle age. What's so funny about being middle-aged?

(Laughs.) Well, how old are you?

Let's just say I'm not exactly circling the airport for an approach, but the tower is almost within radio contact.

Well, you'll find out when you get there. (Laughs.) You've never been more full of hope and promise, yet your body has never hurt so much when you wake up in the morning. There are many wry, ironic and humorous things to be found in the process of aging. ("Life") is kind of a journey ... a discovery process of (characters) who still think they're young.

There's a lot of humor, dazzling juggling ... and wonderfully sublime and funny music.

One of the Karamazovs' signature show pieces is "The Gamble," where Dmitri Karamazov (Paul Magid) bets he can juggle any object the audience gives him. I want a list of the weird stuff and just the weird stuff.

Chunks of animals. A deer liver. All kinds of seafood. Every size and shape of octopus, squid and fish head imaginable. There was a little dinosaur that someone made out of eggs and packing tape. That was lots of fun.

The rules are the objects should be heavier than an ounce — because things that are lighter than that don't move when you throw them. They should be lighter than 10 pounds — because who the heck needs something crushing the juggler? And nothing bigger than a bread box, sharp or dangerous in one way or another that would hurt the juggler.

We also don't juggle anything that's alive. Somebody once brought a live lobster, and the audience really wanted (Dmitri) to juggle it. The audience was really angry at him in the end after he juggled it and had basically killed it.

Unless you count the way you guys are getting here, there's no flying in the Flying Karamazovs show. What gives?

The objects are flying. And, it's just a funny name ... a silly take-off on the book.

Have you actually read "The Brothers Karamazov"?

I have! Another reason they hired me is because I had a lot of the right intellectual background. ... I've read "The Oresteia." I've read "The Iliad." I've read the Bible. And I've read "The Brothers Karamazov."

Truth, Mark. Isn't Dostoevsky just a little overrated?

(Whispers. A bit embarrassed.) Oh, I'll tell you what, I actually really like Dostoevsky.

Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.