Teddy Roosevelt rode into the sunset long before the Flying Karamasov Brothers burst on the scene.

But had they crossed paths, odds are good that Roosevelt would have been one of New Old Time Chautauqua’s biggest fans. He famously labeled that iconic cultural movement of his day, known then simply as “Chautauqua”, as, “…a gathering that is typically American in that it is typical of America at its best.”

America’s “best” has been reborn. And you can find out what was rumbling around in ‘ol Rough and Ready’s mind when New Old Time Chautauqua and its traveling troupe of multi-talented entertainers hit the stage for two performances at San Juan Community Theatre, Saturday, March 10.

Settle in and expect the unexpected.

“This is one of the most creative and fun-loving groups of people you’ll ever meet,” said Bellingham’s Karl Meyer, a theatrical triple-threat in his own right.

The show’s producer and president of the NOTC board, Meyer is also a Flying Karamasov “cousin”, filling in from time to time when a “brother” might be absent.

“We’ll have three of the touring guys with us and maybe even one of the originals (Tim Furst) for the show,” Meyer said of FKB’s Friday Harbor lineup. “They’re definitely a powerful presence on stage, but they’re only part of the show.”

The parts are legion. As is the lineup. Each two-hour performance includes acrobats, jugglers, magicians, sword-swallowers, tap dancers, musicians and a whole lot of clowning around. Blending time-honored circus acts with the zaniness of vaudeville, Chautauqua’s ensemble of critically acclaimed performers will keep you in stitches, on the edge of your seat and tickle the fancy of even the most stubborn inner child.

While the show is largely about entertainment, New Old Time Chautauqua was born some 30 years ago with a broader mission in mind. Like its namesake (New York’s Lake Chautauqua was the site of the first such event, in 1873), New Old Time Chautauqua was founded on the notion of community service and in bringing education, entertainment and artistic camaraderie to communities where theatrical performances are few and far between.

That mission was one of the reasons Joey Pipia, the show’s resident magician and “delusionist”, joined up. He happened upon a couple of the troupe’s benefit shows after moving to Port Townsend some 20 years ago and has been a mainstay of the show for more than a dozen years.

“They were always an extraordinary experience,” Pipia said of those shows. “I thought my small part would be valuable to the whole. There’s a synchronicity there.”

Its performance in Friday Harbor is one of the group’s benefit shows. The troupe raised enough money last year to tour and perform in Alaska’s rural towns and villages this past summer.

For more info, visit www.sjctheatre.org