Stephen Bent as Zossima, Paul Magid as Dimitri, Roderick Kimball as Pavel, and Mark Ettinger as Alexei in The Flying Karamazov Brothers' production of 4Play at San Jose Repertory Theatre.
Stephen Bent as Zossima, Paul Magid as Dimitri, Roderick Kimball as Pavel, and Mark Ettinger as Alexei in The Flying Karamazov Brothers' production of 4Play at San Jose Repertory Theatre.

Get ready San Jose, here come those crazy, juggling, flamboyant brothers!

San Jose Repertory Theatre announced that The Flying Karamazov Brothers are coming to town with their latest creation, 4PLAY, a ground-breaking blend of nouveau cirque, comedy, theatre, music and, of course, juggling.

The exuberant and hilarious off-Broadway rave is full of fast-paced virtuosity and fun as the four brothers, master practitioners of cheap theatrics, juggle ‘til they drop. The audience is encouraged to bring zany items to the theater for the Karamazov champion to juggle.

“It’s such a joy to be able to bring the antics of The Flying Karamazov Brothers to our audience, and back to the Bay Area where they started. I know the four brothers have many fans in this region that haven’t been able to see them do one of their full shows for a few years now,” says Artistic Director Rick Lombardo. “I saw 4PLAY recently off-Broadway, and it was a dizzying and delightful evening of comedy, music and world-class juggling. I hope fans will bring the hardest things imaginable for Dimitri to juggle during the challenge portion – although, I think chain saws are off-limits!”

Welcome to the zany world of The Flying Karamazov Brothers, where the daring and goofy take center stage. In this spectacular display of versatility and agility, the four brothers use objects, musical instruments (traditional and invented) and their own bodies to create a performance that is fresh and compelling. Innovative and unique, they display their juggling prowess in such show stopping numbers as “The Gambler.” In this daring act, the Karamazov champion (Dimitri) will juggle three items presented to him by audience members. If the champion succeeds, he gets a standing ovation. If he fails, he gets a pie in the face! The Brothers mix visual fireworks, visceral physicality and theatrical innovation to create a post-modern sensibility where anything is possible.

4PLAY features Paul Magid, Stephen Bent, Andy Sapora and Harry Levine. It’s directed by Paul Magid and choreographed by Doug Elkins, with music direction by Mark Ettinger, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by David Hutson, set design by The Flying Karamazov Brothers, and original music by Mark Ettinger, Doug Wieselman and Howard Patterson.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers were conceived in the fall of 1972 and born April 23, 1973 at a Renaissance Faire in Northern California. They went on to perform in theaters around the world, including the West End in London. The Brothers won an Obie award in 1980 and appeared in the film The Jewel of the Nile, the sequel to Romancing the Stone. They also appeared as the Flying Sandos Brothers in an episode of Seinfeld entitled “The Friars Club.” Over the years, they have shared the stage and screen with many entertainers including Frank Sinatra, Placido Domingo, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Dolly Parton, Robin Williams, Patrick Dempsey, Danny DeVito, Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Ken Kesey, Allen Ginsberg, Kenny Rogers, Los Lobos, The Smothers Brothers, Click and Clack the Tappett Brothers, Joyce Brothers and many, many more.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers 4Play

November 10 to November 14, 2010

San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, downtown San Jose.

The audience is encouraged to bring zany items to the theater for the Karamazov champion to juggle.

Stephen Bent as Zossima, Paul Magid as Dimitri, Mark Ettinger as Alexei, and Roderick Kimball as Pavel in The Flying Karamazov Brothers' production of 4Play at San Jose Repertory Theatre.
Stephen Bent as Zossima, Paul Magid as Dimitri, Mark Ettinger as Alexei, and Roderick Kimball as Pavel in The Flying Karamazov Brothers’ production of 4Play at San Jose Repertory Theatre.
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