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Inuvik (July 09/01) - Phil Dolci fell in love with the circus in 1969.
"I was six years old and my dad took me to a five-ring wild animal show," says Dolci. Three years ago, he finally ran away to his true love, leaving a law practice in the United States to crisscross the continent with the big top.
 Phil Dolci and Friendly -- an eight-foot Burmese python -- were in Inuvik last week to entertain the Delta folks with a wild and wonderful show under the bigtop. - Kevin Wilson/NNSL photo |
Dolci and his merry band of 14 performers paid a call on the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex for two shows last week.
How on earth did a former lawyer based out of Gibsonton-Gibtown wind up bringing his circus north of the Arctic Circle?
"I was in the neighbourhood," says the ringmaster nonchalantly.
Dolci was accompanied by performing dogs and Friendly, the eight-foot long Burmese python. Unfortunately, his horses and their trainers were stuck in Fort McPherson after the transmission in the truck carrying the Belgian draught horses gave up the ghost.
His young nephew Domenick Kramer recently linked up with Dolci.
"He's my sister's favourite," laughs Dolci. She flew Domenick into Anchorage so he could hook up with his uncle and see the country during summer vacation.
Favourite son Domenick gets to clown around, literally. He also gets to work with the dogs, and "the blade box". That's the box a hapless victim lies in while a magician slides razor sharp swords and assorted blades into it.
The pay off of the act is generally a box (and presumably an individual) carved into three segments.
No word on whether Mom knows what Domenick's uncle has him doing.
"It's cool," says Domenick.
Despite the horror stories Dolci had heard about driving the Dempster, he says the trip had not been too bad. And that's in spite of having to take the horses out of their truck at a hill about 70 km north of Dawson City.
"They made the trailer too heavy. We had to walk them up the hill and then drive the trailer up," says Dolci.
Adolescent Domenick is having fun, and none the worse for the wear, too. "He fell in love in Alaska," says the ringmaster, his mustachio perking upwards with his smile.
