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."

Fu wins one for the elderly

Childhood buddies trade blows, not Valentines, at Roughhouse Boxing

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

It was Friday the 13th at Roughhouse Boxing at Marlintini's Lounge, and freaky things were happening.

Wayne "Koosh-da-ka" Fu, 58, with a string of recent losses, came up with a big win over 18-year-old Tyler Papasadora in the only MMA bout of the night. Papasadora tapped out after Fu got him in a mixed-martial-arts lock known as "the guillotine" when their feet fighting went to the mat.

"This was a dream come true for me," Fu said in a post fight interview. "I've been doing marital arts all my life, and they thought I was too old to fight and wouldn't let me. Then this kid came out Thai boxing, and I had more experience and won by guillotine.

"Hopefully I'll give hope to the old people," he said with a wink. Fu added that he was going to train Papasadora to fight MMA in Ketchikan.

Undefeated Bailey Johnson, 22, of Angoon, remained perfect with is win over undefeated Brian Lauth, 18, in a close bout that went the distance. Johnson was the crowd favorite, issuing Lauth a standing-eight-count in round one after delivering a huge right haymaker to his head. Lauth and Johnson stayed close through the final two rounds, but Johnson racked up more points to earn the win.

Cameron Mitchell, 22, (2-0) defeated the 2008 Southeast Showdown Champion Aaron "Red Baron" Tucker (9-2) in a tough fight pairing fast footwork and quick punches. The first two rounds were very even with Tucker easily weaving and dodging most of Mitchell's punches. But Mitchell tagged Tucker with a hard shot in round one and a hard combo in round two to out-score the champ. Tucker poured it on in the third, but Mitchell kept finding an opening to grab the close win.

Ketchikan's Shaun Guthrie, 27, grabbed his first win when he defeated first-time fighter Leon Paul, 21, of Juneau in a tough bout Guthrie dominated from the start. Guthrie tagged Paul hard, but he hung tough through round one. In round two, Guthrie came alive delivering combinations that stunned Paul. Then Guthrie finished him off with three left haymaker uppercuts that dropped Paul to the mat and earned Guthrie a TKO. Guthrie will take on "Barcode" next month in MMA.

In one of three bouts featuring fighting friends, Metlakata's heavyweight rookie Michael Henderson, 28, weighing in at 255 pounds, defeated Hoonah's 215-pound Eric Larsen, who had two wins and one loss at the bell. Pumped up on adrenaline like most first-time-fighters, Henderson came out swinging and landed a solid shot right away to issue a Larsen a standing-eight-count.

"I was surprised it was that easy," said Henderson, who is finishing up his accounting degree at the University of Alaska Southeast and is fighting to stay in shape for next month's Gold Medal Tournament. "(My strategy going in was) to throw the jab and wait for my opponent to present the right hand."

Larsen said after he got knocked down, everything was a little dizzy.

"I've never been hit so hard," he said.

Both 19-year-olds from Hoonah, first-time-fighter Mitchel Zarazua defeated Casey "Little Big Man" Yakovich (2-2) in another bout pairing childhood friends.

"Casey is a pitbull, and my hat's are off to him," Zarazua said of his opponent. "I hit him hard, and he didn't fall."

Zarazua ran to Yakovich at the bell and didn't stop throwing punches until Yakovich was delivered a standing-eight-count. Yakovich took some shots in round two then retired in round three with an injured shoulder.

Zarazua said he was extra motivated, because he needed the prize money to pay back $70 to his mom for the ferry over and $50 from a friend for Juneau spending money. It might also have been his reach over the shorter Yakovich that earned him the win. He is now heading to Palmer for heavy equipment operating training with Larsen.

Another childhood friendship met in the ring when Michelle "The Waitress" Macasaet, 23, defeated Alexa Elisoff, 24, in a bout featuring boxers gassing out half way through round one. Macasaet went on the attack in the middle of round two, but both boxers tired again, circling each without throwing punches.

"It was kind of hard to fight her, because she was my friend," said Macasaet, who ultimately grabbed the win by being more aggressive.

Brad "Porad" Soneson, 17, defeated Vicante Mendoza, 28, of Mexico, in a bout that had Mendoza against the ropes with Soneson pummeling him early in round one. Mendoza came back strong in round two against Soneson who was sucking air, but by round three, both boxers were gassed out.

James "The Beast" Roberts Jr., of Klawock, defeated David Young, of Wasilla, after delivering multiple shots to Young's head. The boxer retired in round two after his second standing-eight count.

The next fights will be March 13 at Marlintini's Lounge.

Reigning champ falls in Friday night fights

Angoon's Johnson surprises Juneau's "Red Baron" Tucker

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Twenty-two-year-old Bailey Johnson, of Angoon, shocked the packed crowd at Marlintini's Lounge Friday for the monthly Roughhouse fights. Johnson picked up an electrifying victory over 2008 Roughhouse Southeast Showdown Champion 19-year-old Aaron "The Red Baron" Tucker, of Juneau.

Johnson (1-0-0) began racking up the points early in round one, using his longer reach to tag the more-experienced Tucker (8-1-0) with lefts to the head, while dodging the champ's huge haymaker attempts. Tucker came out tough in round two but soon walked into a big left hook from Johnson, who followed with a hard left-right combination to Tucker's head. The champ was hit with a second standing eight-count.

The tables appeared to turn in round three, as Tucker sent a stunned Johnson to the mat, and a standing-eight count of his own from referee Joe Isturis, with a stinging left haymaker. Johnson was able to recover, however, sealing the win with a heavy leather left hook that brought the crowd to their feet for the underdog.

First-time-fighter Denise Bennett, 25, defeated Michelle "The Waitress" Macasaet, 23, in a split-decision fight with an edge. Bennett was randomly paired with Macasaet, who Bennett claimed damaged her car during a street fight with another girl downtown last summer. Bennett was the aggressor from the bell, but both boxers appeared gassed out by the end of round one. The fighters gasped their way through round two, but Bennett was able to pick up the win in round three because she "was looking for a payback," she said.

Nick "The Nightmare" Morgan defeated Roger "Barcode" Booth IV in the only mixed martial arts fight of the night, using the full length of the three 3-minute rounds. With one MMA win under his belt, Booth said he "studied Morgan and called him out to fight."

Booth, who took his fight name because of the barcode tattoo on his head, tried unsuccessfully to drop Morgan to the mat with repeated kicks to the knee, and the fighters spent the majority of the bout on their feet. Morgan was able to maneuver Booth into several headlock grips, but "Barcode" proved to be a good escape artist and the close bout was ultimately decided by a split decision.

Heavyweight fighter Inoke Topui, 21, defeated Hoonah's Eric Larsen, 20, whose 79-year-old grandmother showed her support by being the ring girl for the fight. Both boxers weighed in at 215 pounds for the fight. Topui went on the attack from the opening bell, but was unable to seal the win until the third round when he got Larsen pinned against the ropes and delivered a pummeling that left Larsen with a bloodied nose.

Randy Willard, 23, defeated southpaw fighter and childhood friend Shawn Guthrie, 21, in an evenly paired fight that went the three-round distance. Willard was able to take round one after using his longer reach to out-point Guthrie. The action broke even in the second, however, as both boxers gassed out. Willard's reach eventually gave him the advantage in round three again, as he picked up the win.

With a record of 2-0-0, Brian Lauth, 18, remained undefeated with his win over first-time-fighter Gabe "Reachum" Meachum, 21, after Lauth exploded from the bell and tagged the newcomer with a hard shot to the head. Meachum hung on through the first round, but the fight was called after he was issued two standing eight-counts in round two.

Al "Mean Machine" Valentine, 48, tamed James "The Beast" Roberts Jr., 23, of Klawock, in a one-sided bout that showcased Valentine's decades of fight experience. Roberts went into the bout saying his strategy was to "keep moving and try not to get knocked out." Roberts kept his head down and his arms swinging, but Valentine, standing largely with his arms at his side, took the win with his lightning-quick head tags.

Sitka's Selena Slack, 25, brought her record to 3-1-0 with her win over first-time fighter Alexa Elisof, 24, of Juneau. The first two rounds went to the more-experienced Slack, and the fight was called in round three after Slack's left hook came alive, proving too much for Elisof. Slack said her win was "all about my experience over my opponent."

Hoonah's Mitchel Zarazua, 19, defeated Yakutat's Don "Damn Yaki" Johnson, 47, in a fight featuring a considerable age difference. Johnson was hit with a standing-eight-count in round one after an inital hard flurry of hits from the younger Zarazua. Referee Isturis called the fight after the second standing eight-count was issued to Johnson in round two.

The next fight night will be Feb. 13 at Marlintini's lounge.

The Karma Krew

By Kim Andree | JUNEAU EMPIRE

After opening Taproot Yoga Center last September, Malia McInerney also was inspiried to establish a local Karma Krew, which, as part of its mantra to "Do Good Things," recently volunteered its time at Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies.

"We drank tea, shared stories, listened to holiday music, soaked our feet in Body Shop baths and sampled the wonderful products," McInerney said. "We basically enjoyed one another's company, which is what Karma Krew is all about."

According to McInerney, the goal of all Karma Krews is to participate in Simple Seva - selfless service - by doing community service projects. She said she discovered the Karma Krew idea while on a Buddhist retreat last January with her friend Scott Feinberg, one of the founders of the national group.

"It was exactly what I was looking for," McInerney said, "a template for which I could be supported and offer support through a broader vision."

To support its vision, the local crew dedicates a service every other month. Its first project was "Our Furry Friends," for which it established a drive and adopted a "pet" polar bear for the center.

"I needed to do something low key because I was consumed with opening the yoga center," McInerney said. "The decline of polar bears and their rapidly changing habitats are on everybody's mind, so this small act went to support that."

And since October centered around women's issues - Women's History Month and Women's Leadership Month - Taproot decided to hold two events to raise awareness. The first was a public yoga and pampering day held at Taproot to provide the opportunity for people to donate Body Shop products to AWARE in time for Christmas. For this, Heather Ollenburg, a local Body Shop consultant, donated her time and profits.

"All of her commission went to AWARE, and she spent the afternoon pampering the women who showed up," McInerney said. "We transformed the center into a Body Shop so people could browse items, try them out and opt to make purchases for themselves or donate products to AWARE if they wanted."

After shopping, McInerney taught a yoga class to approximately 20 people in a large circle.

The second event to celebrate women was held Dec. 14 at AWARE, for which McInerney lead AWARE women in a brief session of yoga, featuring deep breathing and gentle movement, and Courtney Nelson entertained with some basic belly dance instruction.

"We delivered all the donated products to the AWARE shelter and spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon with the women there," McInerney said. "Heather presented a portion of the products to the women who were taking up residents at AWARE that day."

According to McInerney, the estimated retail value of the donations was around $4,000.

"There were a lot of products," McInerney said. "AWARE kept most of it to distribute over time and at special events in the future."

Also at the event, healing touch practitioner Mary Pat Schilly gave AWARE women foot massages and did some foot reflexology. Ollenburg facilitated the pampering with foot baths and hand soaks, and Jodi Neil also volunteered.

McInerney said keeping in touch with other volunteers around the country has motivated her work as Juneau Krew Chief.

"Learning about the amazing impacts some of the other Krews are having helps keep me inspired and feeling good that I'm part of something so much needed in the world," she said.

McInerney also hopes Taproot's crew will continue to blossom in the future.

"The Juneau Karma Krew is a baby," she said. "It's just evolving along with Taproot Yoga, but my goal is to alternate Simple Seva and Community Service Projects every month by next year."

The crew already has several community service projects coming up. In February, they will visit Juneau Youth Services to hang out with kids and help out in various ways. In March, they will help SAGA with one of its outreach projects, and in April, they will do an environmental clean-up project for Earth Day.

"We have a few core volunteers and would like to recruit more in addition to opening up each project to anyone interested in the cause," McInerney said. "The more volunteers the better of course."

Those interested in joining the Karma Krew can contact Taproot Yoga at 523-9848 or e-mail McInerney at breathe@taproot-yoga.com. Details about specific projects can be found at www.taproot-yoga.com under the "Events" link, and details about the national Karma Krew organization can be found at www.karmakrew.org.

"Suggestions are always welcome, as are volunteers for committee organizing," McInerney said. "We are also open to collaborating with other organizations or committees. Benefactors may include nonprofits, schools, individual community members, the environment, etc. There are no limits."

Motion picture, TV title designer Fitzgerald to speak Saturday

Juneau Empire

JUNEAU - Wayne Fitzgerald, three-time Emmy award winning motion picture and TV title designer with more than 1,000 title designs to his credit, will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, at the downtown library.

With more than 55 years experience in the film industry, Fitzgerald will discuss film history, short-story telling, the change in technology and maybe a few colorful Hollywood personality stories.

Some of his credits include: "Bonnie and Clyde," "A River Runs Through It," "What About Bob?," "Total Recall," "The Godfather trilogy," "Innerspace," "The Fly," "Rocky IV," "The Breakfast Club," "The Deer Hunter," "Sixteen Candles," "Footloose," "Splash," "The Big Chill," "Terms of Endearment," "Pennies from Heaven," "The Lord of the Rings," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Ghost," "Basic Instinct," "Catch-22," "Apocolypse Now," "The Graduate" and "Pillow Talk."

Fitzgerald will show samples of his work and the original storyboards for a few films. For a list of some title credits, visit www.imdb.com/name/nm0280408/.