What to Wear in Juneau

United Way puts on a fashion show
By Courtney Nelson
For the Juneau Empire
An open invitation by the United Way’s campaign director Cachet Garrett for a philanthropist to “discuss significant giving” might pay off. Marlintini’s Lounge owner Ethan Billings read this and stepped up with an idea for a fundraising fashion show and live auction. “I read the article and started thinking about ideas and came up with something like Wearable Art, but different,” said Billings, who projects this event will raise $10,000 between ticket sales, liquor sales and donated live auction items.
The fashion show planning committee formed uniting Billings and Garrett and representatives from Shoefly, Choco, Gottshalks, Laisne, The Wedding Shoppe, and AK Dames, who donated their time and ideas. The result is an upscale, fashion show called “What to Wear in Juneau, AK” with VIP seats, swag bags and a live auction. The event, which begins with cocktails at 8, and the show from 9-11:30 p.m., will be hosted by Ben Brown and Collette Costa. There will be an intermission performance by Rumbalaska, a salsa dance team formed by salsa instructors Heather Haugland and Antonio Diaz.
Billings created a large catwalk that runs 60 feet across the club. If this event is a success, Billings will consider doing an annual spring and fall fashion show. “I think it will be great to promote local clothing stores and other local businesses as well as raise money for the United Way,” said Billings. Marlintini’s is donating 30% of liquor sales to the cause.
Travis McCain at AK Litho donated printing costs and Shyla Germain designed the tickets. Other contributing businesses are Sequence, Nugget Alaskan Outfitters, Night Moods and the Alaskan Brewing Company, which will be modeling their new barbeque apron. “It’s pretty spectacular, its got a bottle opener on it with a retractable chord, an insulated bottle holder, an oven mitt, and multiple pockets - it’s the perfect thing for spring” said Christy Virgilio-Ciambor, marketing coordinator for the Alaskan Brewing Company. The brewery will also model t-shirts and hats that will be auctioned off to benefit the cause they find important. “The United Way tackles a lot of issues here in Juneau - children’s causes, housing issues, they really give where they can,” said Virgilio-Ciambor.
Some of the 50 models scheduled to appear on the runway will have their hair styled by Gail E. Marvin of the Cutting Edge. “I might do a funky color like primary red on a model that will be a style and fashion statement,” said Marvin. In addition to wild hair, men and women’s sleepwear by Night Moods will be modeled including a satin pajama set for men and chemises, robes and pj’s for women, “things people will feel comfortable wearing in public,” said spokesperson Kathy Buell. They also think it’s an important cause. “The United Way helps a lot of causes here in Southeast Alaska so we want to give back,” said Buell.
The United Way supports 38 non-profit organizations in Juneau so many businesses said they were happy to help, especially since non-profit organizations have seen a decrease in donations lately. A complete list of their partners can be found at www.unitedwayseak.org.
In addition to the fashion show, clothes, shoes, purses, hand-made garters, gift certificates to Rejuvenation Salon and Spa, The Cutting Edge, Paradise Beach Travel and Tanning, Sunburst on the Wharf and Alaska Industrial will be auctioned off.
Seating is limited, there are 300 tickets and they are available at Shoefly, Choco, Alaska Dames and the United Way office. General Admission tickets are $20, VIP tickets are $30 and include a swag bag.

'Superman" breaks MMA record

Rookie Manacio V dispatches Johnson in record 11 seconds in Rough House fight

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Anthony "Five" Manacio V, 23, a first-time fighter with a six-year wrestling career, stunned the crowd with his Rough House Boxing record breaking win over fellow first-time fighter Andrew "Anderson" Johnson, 21, just 11 seconds into the bout. With Superman tattoos on his arms, Manacio beat the previous MMA record of 17 seconds by using what he called his "Superman" punch.

"Basically you just use your legs as leverage and jump up and hit him in the face," Manacio said after the win.

Adrenaline-filled from the bell, Manacio, cheered on by his sparring partner brothers, rushed his opponent. Then, using his powerful leg muscles, he sprung up against his taller opponent, tagged him in the head and dropped him with the first punch. After five more hard shots to the head, referee Joe Isturis called the fight.

"I feel awesome," Manacio said after. "I wanted more, but I guess things just happen."

In the only other MMA fight of the night, Manacio's older brother Anthony "Four" Manacio IV, who served a year in Iraq as a gunner but now works for the Alaska Marine Highway System, lost a fight to Aaron "Bloody Red Baron" Tucker in a bout where the fighters spent most of the time on the ground exchanging power positions. The closest bout of the night, Tucker squeaked out the win by tiring Manacio out.

"He was just holding me down and I got too tired," Manacio explained.

In another close bout, Juneau's Cameron Mitchell, 2-0-0, remained perfect with his win over Hoonah's Mitchell Zarazua, who picked up his first loss bringing his record to 2-1-0. Zarazua, who studied Mitchell's fights, planned to block Mitchell's signature right uppercut by switching forward standing foot. Mitchell's stance, usually his right glove up around his head and left glove at his side with some jabs thrown with his southpaw, left Mitchell's head open. His corner yelled repeatedly, "Hands up, hands up." Both boxers traded hard blows in extended rounds but the close win went to Mitchell.

Shaun Guthrie, 27, defeated Ketchikan's TJ Jackson, 21, and dominated the first two rounds, tiring him out. Jackson, who'd never gone the distance in a bout, gassed out and retired before the third round.

Angoon's Alexa Elisoff, 24, with two losses, defeated first-time fighter Francine "Shorty" Brown, 22, of Angoon to grab her first win. To give her strength, Elisoff said she thinks about her deceased brother, Ryan Elisoff, right before her fights.

Round one was pretty even. Then Elisoff delivered Brown a standing eight-count in round two, and Brown answered by throwing punches after the bell. Elisoff dominated the last round, but both boxers were sucking air.

In a heavyweight bout featuring fighters from Angoon, 274-pound Thomas "Tommy Guns" Parkin, 22, a first-time fighter, defeated 288-pound Thomas Adam Jack, 25, by dominating from the start. Parkin exploded from the bell and tagged Jack in the temple. A barrage of punches got a standing eight-count delivered to Jack. Right before the bell, Parkin landed a right hook that dropped Jack to the mat. Joe Isturis stopped the fight before the second round.

In another heavyweight bout, 4-2-0 James "The Beast" Roberts, 24, of Klawock, defeated Clifford "Bad News" Brown, 19, with a record of 1-0-0, which started off strong for Brown. Adrenaline filled Brown dominated the first part of the round landing two big haymakers to Roberts head. Roberts answered with his own big right that left Brown looking a little dazed and the two remained pretty even.

Brown had a rocket-right uppercut that seemed to have minimal effect on the solid Roberts. Resembling the tortoise and the hare, Brown darted around the solid and steady Roberts who ended up with the win by crowd decision.

Charles Paul Bagoyo, 21, with a record of 2-2-0, defeated 18-year-old Michael Trull, 1-0-0, in a bout where both boxers traded hard head shots in round one, with Trull leading. Before the start of round two, Trull stood up to fight and collapsed to the mat with a concussion. Trull was carried out on a stretcher and taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital where he was treated and released. Trull's mother Carla Vulgamore reported the next day that he suffered a concussion but was doing better. Trull will not be boxing next month.

The main event featuring a rematch match with Ryan Wong and Inoke Topui was canceled when Topui scratched before the bout.

The Southeast Showdown is scheduled for May 8, and mixed martial arts will be held May 15.

Is Facebook replacing face time?

Juneau residents find old and new friends are just a click away

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Whether people tend to avoid new technology or embrace it, the online social network Facebook can't be ignored. The world's largest networking Web site is slowly but surely replacing face-to-face interaction, especially in Juneau, where residents often live thousands of miles from family and friends.

With five million new users joining Facebook each week, its user demographic is shifting from college-age students to teenagers, 30-somethings and retired adults. As users become more connected to friends, family and the community through online networking, more people are replacing face time with Facebook.

Many Facebook members say the Web site is addicting. Online networking can create a sensation of time and space collapsing when in the same day a person can connect with their second-grade crush, old employers, high school and college classmates, and professional colleagues.

According to the marketing research company Comscore, the average user is on Facebook 169 minutes each month. Some refer to the program as "crackbook."

Facebook's mission appears benign, claiming the sharing of information intends "to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Many Juneau residents, who live in relative isolation from friends and family Outside, have become well-versed in the benefits of Facebook.

Meilani Schijvens, a busy Juneau mom with two small children, said she absolutely loves Facebook. It allows her to use any extra minutes to catch up on people she cares about, Schijvens said.

"It's such an easy way to get in touch with people - no looking for lost e-mail addresses. It's an easy way to share pictures of my growing little kids. I'm in touch with all of my cousins for the first time ever and I'm in touch with people from all the different stages and ages of my life," Schijvens said.

Some people say they've learned much more about their friends' similarities by seeing what others are doing. This sparks new conversations and connections, thus deepening relationships.

But as millions of people flock to the site to reunite, share, learn and reminisce, those who don't join for various reasons often feel left out. Julie Johnson, a self-proclaimed "techno-phobe," is one Juneau resident who hasn't been ensnared in the Web.

Johnson has historically resisted technology. She doesn't have a cell phone, rarely sends e-mails and is resentful of pressure to join Facebook. Call her old-fashioned, she said, but she likes to send and receive meaningful pictures and packages through the U.S. Postal Service and receive life news over a cup of coffee.

Johnson is not alone but is quickly becoming the minority - a fact that frustrates her. She recently went on vacation with family. By the time she returned home, developed her film and was ready to mail her letters, the vacation was old news. Her family had posted their photos on Facebook during their first day back. Friends already were commenting on the great photos of Johnson on her vacation - photos she hadn't seen yet and probably wasn't going to unless she joined Facebook.

If Johnson had joined Facebook, her family could have "tagged" her in the photo, and she would have been notified automatically via e-mail. If people haven't posted anything more embarrassing than had a big hair portrait from the '80s, photo taggings can be fun; for others, they're a source of anxiety.

Gone are the days of tearing up or deleting a bad bathingsuit shot for posterity. "It's fun to have people post old photos. It's like looking through an old photo album with an old friend," said Kristin Cox, adding "and anyone else who is interested can see too."

Schijvens echoed this sentiment, saying she looks forward to seeing older photos. "Good thing for me, I looked better then than I do now."

Another busy mom, Tiffany Smith, said she wasn't afraid of photos because she "doesn't tend to work very hard to hide things that people may find unflattering. I just don't much care. I am who I am."

Others expressed a desire to keep the past in the past. Some people said they came to Juneau from another town where they had a reputation they would like to forget. They didn't want the past haunting them in their new life. Others expressed similar worries about a college concert photo or something similar resurfacing for their children to see.

Some college-age people who have grown up with Facebook are posting images of drinking and partying that might haunt them in the future - such as when a prospective employer is researching them on the Internet, or after they've just won eight gold medals. A good rule of thumb for Facebook: Don't post anything that couldn't be a newspaper headline. That brings up another issue: authenticity.

Some users say Facebook is like being invited to a party where you can only be nice, because you can only "like" a comment someone posts. Some users tend to share too much information, but there are others who tend to reveal very little. Many Juneau users don't want to be Facebook friends with co-workers in order to keep their work and personal lives separate and avoid awkward situations.

Christy Virgilio-Ciambor of Juneau has had awkward experiences with past romantic relationships and sharing on Facebook.

"Ghosts of boyfriends and girlfriends past can be odd because even though we're all friends now, there's a limit to how much I want them to know about my life and vice versa," she said.

With 175 million users networking on Facebook, it's become a target for nasty viruses that can crash computers. Facebook applications can plant cookies that are tracked down by hackers who access log-in information to target other Facebook users.

Using Facebook as a tool for community connection takes discipline and an awareness of what one might be disconnecting from when they log on. It takes work to not discriminate against non-users and make the effort to maintain connections with people who aren't using Facebook. Cox confessed, "It does eat up a lot of time when I could be doing something else, like writing a snail mail to my grandma who isn't my Facebook friend."

• Courtney Nelson is a writer living in Juneau.

Juneau to be featured in Discovery Channel special

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Avalanches, bear encounters, moose collisions, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are some of the topics featured in a new Discovery Channel special, "Alaska: Most Extreme." Premiering April 16, the show will air in the middle of a week of programming called "Alaska Week," which begins April 12 and runs through April 17.

The one-hour special features Juneau in an opening piece about avalanches and what it's like living in their shadow.

"The first story is about avalanches and features Juneau's position as the large urban avalanche danger-zone, in essence," said David Huntley, executive producer of Moore Huntley Productions who produced the show for the Discovery Channel.

"Juneau's focus is as an urban area at risk of having avalanches hit in different ways, by threatening neighborhoods but also the dependence on transmission lines coming up from Snettisham Power House. This is such an amazing story to tell because I don't think many people in the lower 48 know that. They might know that Juneau is not connected to the outside with a road, but I don't think they know the history of avalanche danger," said Huntley.

After producing and working on many shows about Alaska subjects and topics over the last 20 years, and intensively for five or six years now, Huntley wanted to look closer at people and their daily interactions with nature.

"Moore Huntley Productions has been producing programs for the History Channel, National Geographic and now for the Discovery Channel, and what I keep finding is there are more and more interesting stories about the people and the environment in Alaska that I don't have a chance to tell" Huntley said. "So we proposed this to the Discovery Channel as a highlight show looking at the many ways the environment affects life and work in Alaska, and surprisingly how many superlatives or extremes exist and affect daily life."

Huntley, who is drawn to the north because of its history and layers, was introduced to Alaska in 1991 while working in the Aleutians on the PBS science magazine show "Scientific American Frontiers" with Alan Alda.

"I went out to the story in the Aleutian Islands about the ancient technology of the baidarka and got stuck on Adak Island for a week because of fog - the plane couldn't get in. It was your typical Alaska experience, and right then I was just kind of hooked with the land and the people and the interaction between the two."

While Moore Huntley Productions acknowledge their home base in Massachussettes is about as far away as you can get from their subject, Huntley Moore embeds themselves in different communities for months at a time, which creates ties to different entities.

"We created close relationships with people from past documentaries with Alaska Light and Power (AEL&P), the Department of Transportation, Alaska State Troopers, the Coast Guard, and different organizations, and we kept in touch," Huntley explained.

It was these relationships that led to the story about the avalanche in Juneau.

"Last April when the transmission towers were knocked down, we went and filmed and it was one of the stories we suggested we should follow up on - and it unfortunately happened again this winter, so we were able to go out with the AEL&P crews when they were starting to work on repairing it," he said.

Huntley and his crew also rely on headlines from the Juneau Empire and other newspapers to lend authenticity to the segments. Some of the headlines are from the downed power lines, bear attacks in Anchorage and Mount Redoubt erupting.

"One thing we really try to do in our programs is relate to topical events, news and stories that affect everyone's lives, so throughout this show we have a number of stories that were newsworthy. We cite a lot of past events and news stories to make the case stronger that these are not isolated incidents but things that happen over and over again."

It is these conditions that sparked the idea for a show focusing just on the extreme environment and the challenges they pose.

"Having the highest mountains in North America, some of the coldest and harshest winters - the most snowfall ever in one place is Thompson Pass outside of Valdez - so having spent so much time in Alaska and learning so much about it and spending so much time with the people there, I started finding that all these extremes really speak to the challenges of living and working in Alaska," Huntley said. "The number of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and all those kinds of things sparked the idea of doing a show about the different extremes and the ways in which people have to deal with keeping the roads open and keeping the electricity on."

For more information about the show, visit www.discovery.com/alaskaweek.

The Circus

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up

International All-Star Circus offers a combination of big top wonder and theater

By Courtney Nelson | For the JUNEAU EMPIRE

A traveling circus will perform four shows over spring break, one on Monday and three on Tuesday, at Juneau's Centennial Hall. But don't expect to feed peanuts to the elephants, because this modernized circus features "people entertaining people."

Doug Harris, managing partner of the International All-Star Circus, explained that there are two types of circuses these days: "Ours, which is more 'cirque,' which is a combination of circus and theater; then there is the old style which uses trade animals."

According to ringmaster and producer Cornell "Tuffy" Nicholas, he is bringing this show to Alaska because, after many great experiences touring here, he knows that "Alaska loves a circus."

"I love the people," Nicholas said. "The landscape is beautiful, and I love the whole frontier aspect."

Harris agreed saying the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau "showed great enthusiasm and we've felt the warm hospitality before we've even arrived."

Nicholas said he thinks Juneau will appreciate their circus.

"It's an all-star line-up filled with the finest acrobats from the last ten years, all rolled into one great show," he said.

Because he was born into a family of circus performers, Nicholas would know talent if he saw it. His father was a ringmaster for 27 years with the Ringling Brothers, and his German mother was a bear trainer.

Growing up in the circus, Nicholas said he dabbled in all circus arenas over the last 30 years performing on trampoline, trapeze, teeter board and highwire, and working with elephants, lions and tigers. He also performed magic and eventually began managing and producing performances.

"Just don't ask me to be a clown or a juggler," he said jovially.

Some of Nicholas' 20 hand-picked performers include the famous Flying Wallenda family, consisting of Rick Wallenda; his sister, Rietta; Rietta's daughter, Lyric, who perform on an ariel perch; and Bri, a 10-year-old who, according to Wallenda, is the "youngest daredevil in the history of highwire."

Rick Wellenda said he spotted Bri's talent right away.

"Bri asked if I would train her, and I saw she was a natural, so one day I put her in the pyramid," he said.

Rick Wallenda comes from five generations of acrobats and trapeze artists. His grandparents started the original act in 1928, which they performed in the Ringling Brothers Circus. Wallenda now owns Henrietta Place, a family training complex in Florida, which started off as 22 acres. Then his family began selling off bits and pieces until it was an exclusive all circus neighborhood.

Another young performer is fifth-generation contortionist Amanda Bautista, 19, who's been performing the same routine since she was nine and began practicing when she was 3 years old by mimicking her older sister. Her parents and brother performed on the flying trapeze, while other siblings did hand balancing and juggling.

Bautista, who is visiting Juneau for the first time said she's never wanted to find out what work would be like outside the circus. But at her young age, she has already traveled extensively abroad and has stayed in all the United States except Alaska.

Nicholas said there is something for everyone and something for all ages at their two-hour circus. In addition to the acrobatic skills and contortionists, there will be clowns, magicians, trampoline, rolla bolla, Spanish web, Lyra (flying through the air while suspended on a large hoop) and other balancing acts. The motorcycle on a highwire act had to be excluded from Juneau shows due to restrictions.

Circuses began in London 1782 and the International All-Star circus credits circus popularity to its simple universal appeal.

"lt (circuses) was a truly popular-egalitarian-form of entertainment, enjoyed by all, regardless of race, language, age, education or class. Requiring great skill, benefiting from creativity and originality, circus nevertheless needs no sophistication."

Freaky Fight Night

Jackson's one-punch knockout highlights Roughhouse night

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

It was another freaky Friday the 13th at the monthly Roughhouse fights in Marlintini's Lounge, and the knockouts and knockdowns were abundant.

In the quickest bout of the night - and fastest fight most fans had ever seen - 26-year-old T.J. Jackson went in with a 1-0 record and stayed perfect. Jackson made a knockout look easy when he clipped first-time Angoon fighter Derek Totenoff, 22, in the head with a huge right hook that tipped him to the mat like timber. The quick work turned into easy money for Jackson when Totenoff was unable to continue after the fight's opening seconds.

Later, Roger "Barcode" Booth IV, 30, weighed in at 170 pounds to defeat Shaun Guthrie, 27. Guthrie came out strong on offense in round one, but Booth answered with a thunderous left that instantly dropped Guthrie to the mat. The pair then wrestled for control before Booth delivered a swift kick to Guthrie's groin at the bell.

Guthrie was able to take down Booth in round two, but the elder fighter was able to escape by rolling out. In round three, the fighters spent most of their time locked up on the mat while trading submission holds and plenty of blows. The decision eventually went to Booth, who later said he and Guthrie will fight again in May.

Toni Talamai, 23, a heavyweight hailing from Tonga and aspiring to be a professional boxer, got a good start on his new career path with his win over Coast Guard veteran Ryan Wong, 32. Talamai had Wong against the ropes early in the first round, delivering solid jabs whenever he found an opening. In round two, Wong was able to land a few of his signature haymaker rights to Talamai, but the younger fighter seemed unphased and Wong never seemed to get on solid footing in round three. Wong later said his younger opponent "got some good shots in."

McDonald's employee Aaron "Red Baron" Tucker, 19, a boxer trying his first MMA fight, got the best of undefeated MMA fighter Wayne "Koosh-Da-Ka" Fu, 58. Tucker really liked MMA, despite taking a hard shot to the eye, saying it involved more strategy and was more "intense" than boxing. Fu, a wood carver, said he wanted a rematch with Tucker.

"Tucker got the best of me tonight, but I know I can do better," he said.

First-time fighter Michael James Trull, 18, defeated fellow rookie boxer James "The Bulldog" Bouschor, 24, by exploding at the bell and attacking Bouschor, who repeatedly had to spin away from the aggressive Trull. Early in round two, Trull delivered a standing-eight count to "The Bulldog," who recovered only to have Trull find another opening with his left hook. The blow tapped a sweet spot, as Bouschor fell to another standing-eight-count and retired before the third round.

Rudy Vonda, 44, defeated Casey "Little Big Man" Yakovik, 18, by executing his "attack the body strategy" which he revealed in a pre-fight interview. Vonda pummeled his opponent's torso from the beginning, sending Yakovik to his knees after a hard stomach shot. Both boxers stayed even in round two, with Vonda's plan of attack keeping him confident. Vonda finally worked Yakovik into a standing-eight-count in round three and referee Joe Isturis called the fight, giving the win to the elder Vonda.

Klawock's James "The Beast" Roberts Jr., defeated Metlakatla's Michael Henderson, 28, via split decision in a heavyweight bout that went the distance. Henderson dominated round one by using the athleticism from his basketball playing days and out-jabbing the relentless and steadfast Roberts. The Beast went to work on Henderson in round two, though, pushing him against the ropes and delivering several hard head and body shots. Roberts held his ground in the center of the ring while Henderson was on the move and ultimately won the split decision by being more aggressive.

"I'm just going to try to outlast him," Roberts said before the fight. "I was told he doesn't have much wind."

First-time MMA fighter Anthony Manacio IV, 25, who works for the Alaska Marine Highway, defeated Bullwinkle's employee Tyler Papasodora, 18, in a bout that the elder fighter dominated from the start. Manacio knocked Papasodora to the ground and delivered several hard shots to the head until the younger fighter tapped out early in round one.

Heavyweight Clifford "Bad News" Brown, 18, of Juneau, defeated first-time-fighter Rodney D. Jackson, 39 of Kake with Jackson receiving "Bad News" in the form of a standing-eight-count after a head pummeling. Jackson stayed tough through a barrage of hard head shots, but retired before the start of round two.

The next Roughhoust Friday Night Fights will be held April 10th at Marlintini's Lounge.

High school's 'Jekyll and Hyde:' An unusual love story

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Building on the success of last year's production, "Les Miserables," the Juneau-Douglas High School drama department, headed by Michaela Moore, felt confident in tackling another big production - "Jekyll & Hyde."

A timeless piece about the struggle of good and evil within a person, this year's musical opens at 7 p.m. tonight at the Juneau-Douglas auditorium.

Although they chose the production primarily for its interesting and thrilling music, Moore, stage designer Lucas Hoiland and student orchestra director Richard Moore also loved the theme.

"The inner struggle between good and evil each man faces, whatever time period they are born, is a fascinating topic to tackle," Moore said. "The dramatic possibilities are endless."

But the play, based on the novella written in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson, is not only about good versus evil.

"It is the story of a man trying to expel the evil from mankind's nature in order to save his father from his insanity and ultimately save himself from the same fate," Moore said. "Jekyll's experiments stem from a true desire to help his father and all mankind and make a better world."

According to Moore, there's also a new twist in the musical - love.

"The musical takes the novella to a whole new deeper level of meaning," she said, "It adds love, which is the most craved attribute of human life. It is the twist of love that makes the story of Jekyll and Hyde so compelling."

Sophomore Shanae'a Moore plays Jekyll's love interest Emma. She said she loved the strength and perseverance of Emma's character.

"I love my character because she is so strong and can handle anything life hands her," Shanae'a Moore said.

"It is extremely hard to pull off strength of will and sweetness of heart at the same time," Michaela Moore said of the actress. "Her chemistry with Dr. Jekyll is great to watch."

Aaron Badilla, who plays the "good" Dr. Jekyll, threw himself into acting after performing in "Les Miserables" and falling in love with productions. Badilla, a senior, enjoyed performing and working with Michaela Moore so much, he took upper-division acting classes, including choir and a challenging scripted theater class, to get this role in the knick of time.

Michaela Moore described Badilla as a passionate and compelling Jekyll.

"He has the amazing ability to throw his whole person into his roll, and his chemistry on stage with the other three leads is seamless," she said.

The "evil" Hyde, played by junior Derek Lail, also said he enjoys playing his role.

"Who wouldn't want to play the cool bad guy who gets to yell and kill people?" he said.

Despite being a fun character to play, Lail said there were challenges.

"It was hard to find the right intensity level, and it took a while to get it right," he said. "(But) I can do what I put my mind to."

Michaela Moore was impressed with the young actor.

"He is one of the sweetest kids I have ever worked with and, like Jekyll, can transform on stage into an evil presence," she said. "At the same time, it's an evil presence that draws you in instead of repels you."

But Moore said this is key for the show to work.

"The audience has to have a twisted admiration of Hyde," she said. "After all, we all flirt with our evil side everyday."

Another facet to the play is the choreography for which Michaela Moore spent hours researching. But she didn't do it all alone. When she needed help, she enlisted a Juneau Dance Unlimited ballet student from the cast, Zoey Wilson, who choreographed the upper-level chorus in the big facade opening number.

The elaborate choreography along with the layered set created by Hoiland is one of the reasons for the slightly smaller cast. There are 69 cast members in all, six less than "Les Miserables."

"We have a magic mirror that we built that is thrilling and also a fireplace that is the hidden door to Jekyll's lab and a double layered set," Michaela Moore said. "The set, lights and music all work harmoniously together with the acting and singing to bring a whole idea to life. It is a big opportunity for Juneau to be able to see this kind of theater in our small town."

Michaela Moore knows the theme is dark, but sees it as a play of hope and believes it should raise audiences up.

"None of us are promised tomorrow," she said. "We should see every day as precious and seize every moment, not for selfish gain, but instead as opportunities to give and receive love. That is the magic of catharsis."