Review
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Tuesday, January 18, 2000
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Karamazovs pull science out of trick bag
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By LESLIE CLARKE
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You know that popular kid in high school who seemed to have everything? You know, the buff guy who was both funny and smart? "L'Universe" is that kid.
The Flying Karamazov Brothers mix high-flying tricks, high-tech effects and a large dose of loony verse in "L'Universe." The parts make up a satisfying whole, challenging the audience to both think and laugh.
Despite the cohesiveness, it's the gadgetry that stars in this show. The group teamed with techies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab to create the smarty-pants stuff for "L'Universe," most of which has never been seen on stage. Ah yes, the nerds always get the last laugh.
A giant music-making web of pendulums, a floor board with sonar sensors and juggling pins fitted with light-emitting diodes are just a few of the effects wowing the crowd in this world-premiere production at A Contemporary Theatre.
In past offerings, the group has examined how music and rhythm relate to the motion of juggling. Evidently, that wasn't enough. This show attempts to tackle the entire cosmology of the universe (the complex structure of reality revealed through juggling and jokes, that is).
Vignettes explore such topics as gravity, energy and chaos. The brothers appear onstage as history's greatest thinkers, from Aristotle to Einstein. Becoming instant science professors, they explain each musical and juggling feat in terms of the laws of nature it employs.
While the explanations are helpful, they could be scripted in more intelligible terms. Too many big words means much of it tends to go right over the head (at least for those of us who didn't go to MIT).
Better is when the science is actually put into motion. One standout trick is when an impressive "floor piano" is created with the use of strategically placed sensors. The jugglers don black Space Age suits equipped with gadgets allowing them to make various pitches based on how their bodies move. It results in a strange, wonderful chorus.
A less high-tech, but nevertheless pleasing feat is a "virtual juggling" scene in which Paul Magid appears to play volleyball with the spinning Earth, utilizing a shadow screen.
Magid ("Dimitri") is one of only two members remaining from the Flying K's birth in 1973; the other is Howard Jay Patterson "Ivan." Two new members are Mark Ettinger and Roderick Kimball.
Despite the cast changes, the brothers retain their knack for witty banter. The audience is always involved, adding to the light, family friendly nature of the show. With a running time of just over an hour, "L'Universe" is also an easy length for kids to handle.
Transforming the artistic and scientific vision of the whiz-bang jugglers and MIT geniuses, director Gordon Edelstein weaves a smooth, free-flowing product highlighting both science and comedy. Who ever said you can't have fun and learn something at the same time?
One last note: Leave the squids at home. "The Challenge," the brothers' popular juggling routine using wacky objects supplied by the audience is not included in this production. | |
