New-age clowning is a theatrical treat for all ages

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Much clowning around, Russian clown style, will be the order of the day at "AGA-BOOM," which will be in residence at Mamiya Theatre Wednesday through Oct. 31. Who are these clowns? Dimitri Bogatirev is the fellow with the stand-up ponytail; Philip Briggs wears the black cap; and Iryna Ivanytska (Bogatirev's wife) is in yellow. 'AGA-BOOM' Premieres at 7 p.m. Wednesday; repeats 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, through Oct. 30, plus 2 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 4 p.m. Oct. 31 (Halloween costume contests at both shows) Mamiya Theatre, Saint Louis School $28 general, $18 children, seniors and students for week-night performances; $38 general, $28 children, seniors and students for weekend performances (including matinees) 545-2820 Note: Suitable for children 5 and older

And the Cirque-type clowns — who look grittier and more mystical than their American counterparts — reflect the essence of Bogatirev's training and style.

"Americans are tired of (traditional) circus clowns and have been open to a new generation of clowns," said Bogatirev, formerly of Cirque's "Alegria" and "O" spectacles. In "Aga-Boom," which opens a 12-performance, two-week run Wednesday at Mamiya Theatre at Saint Louis School, he shares his version and vision of clowning.

What, precisely, is "Aga-Boom"?

Ask Bogatirev, 41, a clown for 20 years, and he speaks with reverence for his artistry.

" 'Aga-Boom' is kind of an atmosphere of craziness," he said in accented English, speaking by phone from Las Vegas, where he lives with wife, Iryna Ivanytska, and their 8-year-old son, Anton Bogatirev, who are both in the show. He is the creator-director of "Aga-Boom."

"We're hip; it's all self-expression. And there are no rules for 'Aga-Boom,' " he said. "In Russia, when we drink (vodka, of course), we say 'aga-boom ... oh, my, good.' Our show is full of paper, explosions, pantomime; we use a lot of all kinds of paper and garbage bags. In Russian, if you say paper, you say boomaga, or bumaga (he spelled both variations). So when you say boomagaboomagaboomagaboomaga many times and fast (he sings out a mantra of sorts), it becomes agaboomagaboomagaboomagaboom."

Bogatirev, who is called Dima by his friends and colleagues, performed in Hawai'i in 2001, in "Slava's Snowshow," a remarkable and unpredictable spectacle of Russian clownsmanship, mounted by his teacher and colleague, Slava Polunin. "Aga-Boom" builds on that credit.

Both Bogatirev and Polunin are renegades from Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based specialist in inspired, new-age clowning, and have simply moved on to put their own signature on their shows.

"You have to understand that Russian clowning is not like American clowning," said Bogatirev, who enjoyed — some of the time, anyway — the spectrum of a lavish multi-million-dollar entity like "O," the water extravaganza at the upscale Bellagio Hotel.

"I worked with Slava in 'Alegria,' but he left the show in London, so I went to 'O' in Las Vegas," said Bogatirev. "But it was time to move on."

And he's not looking back.

For three years, he did 10 shows a week, in which he was part of an "O" segment involving two clowns who live on an iceberg. "We made some funny animation with leaking water, and in Las Vegas, the audiences loved it," he said.

But big is not necessary better, he said.

"Big companies don't give you much growth," said Bogatirev. "You can work and work and make money, but there is no future. You're supposed to go away, without a personality. You never will be famous; people will never talk about you. You may work with an idea that is yours, but there's no (proper) credit."

Worse, there's little intimacy. Mammoth venues house 3,000 spectators and command high ticket tariffs.

"It's so much better for us when you're in an auditorium, with 700 or 300 people," said Bogatirev. "You are closer to the audience. People thank you after the show. You make eye contact with the people; I give them power, they give me power. It's a relationship you cannot have in Las Vegas, where the people leave after the show, without contact with the performers. This is where I find 'Aga-Boom' re-energizing. I have a lot of friends now; I like my art better now."

He's tested "Aga-Boom" in productions in intimate theaters in Los Angeles and Burbank. In Las Vegas, "Aga-Boom" was staged not at casino venues but in libraries with halls that seat 500 or 600, drawing resident crowds, not visiting gamblers.

Appeal runs the gamut, he said, from kindergarten-age tots to grandmas in the 80s. "The last time we performed in Los Angeles, there were more grandmas than children. What we do is physical comedy, so it's interesting for all ages."

In smaller performing spaces, Bogatirev said it's easier to work the house. "On stage, our clowns look like toys," he said. "We're covered with makeup and may look strange, so very young children, say, under 5, might be shocked. (He suggests parents sit midway or back in the theater, not the first few rows, to escape the fright prospects). After they see us, they'll see we're not dangerous, and they may want to 'play' with us. Some kids, after a show, kick us and even bite us; children mean well and are curious to explore."

Bogatirev, like his mentor Polunin, said Charlie Chaplin has been a great influence on their breed of clowning. "He's all about drama," said Bogatirev. "There is a story behind his drama, and a comedy line behind the drama; a sad clown can tell a funny story."

With the collapse of the socialist system in Russia two decades ago, Bogatirev said Russian clowns and pantomimes migrated to circuses in search of work. "Many Russians worked as directors of circuses and circus acts, and Canada had a circus that was creating new rules for circuses," he said of Cirque du Soleil.

"Americans at that time were hating (circus) clowns and clowns like Bozo who was on TV for 37 years," said Bogatirev. "Clowns often were monsters who killed people in movies; Ronald McDonald was the party clown, who sold cheap meals. The idea of the clown was boring."

And, he said, traditional circus clowns were mostly filler acts.

Bogatirev said he created "Aga-Boom" to build a foundation for his future. "It's a family show," he said. His son Anton joined the performing ranks when "Aga-Boom" was launched, so there appears to be a next-generation artist in the family. "He'll be 9 on Oct. 24, and when we travel, kids in the audience enjoy watching him. Kids like to see a small guy; they feel they can do the same, be part of us."

"Aga-Boom" essentially features three performing clowns; besides Bogatirev and Ivanytska, the troupe features Philip Briggs, an American learning the Russian style with earlier credits with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus; and Valery Slemzin, who will be here later in the run.

The clowns are distinguished by specific idiosyncrasies; Bogatirev's stand-up braided hair, with oversized nose in the middle of his face, suggests whimsy and wonderment; Ivanytska wears yellow and boasts a stand-up mane of hair; and Briggs dons green, with drooping hair strands of red as his trademark.

After Honolulu, "Aga-Boom" will prepare for its first New York engagement, Dec. 3-Jan. 16 at the New Victory Theatre on 42nd Avenue in the heart of Times Square.

"For us, this is a big move," said Bogatirev, who wants audiences to respond to his clown in theatrical terms. Thus, the Broadway presence is a key. But he's in good company; he'll follow in the footsteps of his buddy's "Slava's Snowshow" production, which just opened — to raves — in a limited engagement at the Union Square Theatre off-Broadway.

Reach Wayne Harada at 525-8067, wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com, or fax 525-8055.