Clown trio layers on the fun

Disclaimer: Aga-Boom may not be suitable for pregnant women. Two women in different countries laughed so hard at the zany antics of the avant-garde clowns they went into labour.

“One lady in Ukraine laughed so much she delivered in the lobby, and in Mexico the lady was rushed to the hospital,” chuckles Dimitri Bogatirev, the mastermind behind Aga-Boom’s success.

It’s these little nuggets, more than critics’ reviews, that shine a spotlight on why this small Vegas-based troupe has performed for more than a half million people worldwide since it hatched in 2002.

Aga-Boom is one of those rare shows that pierce language and cultural barriers with the polished art of slapstick, the humour of mime, and the energy of physical comedy all rolled into a childlike excitement.

Unlike North America’s red-nosed party clowns, this troupe of three clowns has mastered a refined style of European clowning.

Born in Ukraine, Bogatirev (Aga) studied professional clowning and pantomime working along some of the top talents in the Soviet Union. He was later invited to tour nearly five years with Cirque du Soleil’s ‘O’ and Alegria.

His wife, Iryna Ivanytska (Boom), also lauded as a leading circus arts performer in Russia, is a more light-hearted acrobat also featured in both Cirque shows. And Philip Briggs (Dash), a Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey acolyte, has worked with several cirques and toured abroad.

“Everybody in America wants to see clown supermen. It’s kind of tricky because we are the anti-superman. We are like Charlie Chaplin,” Bogatirev says.

Rather than develop a story and fit sketches into it, he compares the show to a cake with many levels.

“We collect gags. We collect characters. We collect situations and we try to connect them. They follow our characters.”

Bogatirev’s foray into developing his own troupe occurred after experiencing disenchantment with the monolithic Cirque du Soleil.

“As it grew bigger, one person didn’t mean anything. I was just a soldier in a big army.”

For consistency, once a Cirque show was finalized, it became an overwhelming task to tweak his act and keep it fresh. In addition, the cirque stage was completely separated from the audience.

“I give energy to an audience. They give me energy. It’s an addiction, like a drug. But when I was separated from the audience, I was starting to lose energy.”

As Aga-Boom founder, Bogatirev retains his creative control and has built an extensive fan club where he is becoming a star in his own right.

“The world is very scary and if you come see our show, you will see a reflection in our characters. You will understand why you get angry and why people love. It is good acting and good characters. If people love it, they will come again.”