The show is a packed variety hour (and a half) featuring all manner of dance, illusion, aerials, and comedy. Oh yeah—and birds. At the start the audience is notified that the show might be different and more interactive than they are used to: “Things may happen above you, or behind you…and if you’d like to show your approval, feel free to do a little bird call.”
Birds are a recurring motif throughout the evening though at times feel like a bit of a sideshow. Is there any particular reason a performance where Lippert attaches a full-sized chair to each braided pigtail and spins them like a helicopter should be followed by an aggressive in-your-face rave-dancing chicken? Does there need to be?
But it makes more sense than you’d expect, using avian imagery to capture something personal about the experience of three women aerialists. Said Gagné: “It's a play on words, birds and broads, play and prey, women in circus and showgirls and connection to touring and migration as a natural occurrence, perseverance in an ageist and sexist industry and world, staying playful and curious and much much more!”
It takes no time at all to see that the trio is absolutely world class, their every move dripping with confidence, humor, and grace. A quick glance at any of their CVs reveals that their talents have brought them to stages all over the world and television sets as notable as Jimmy Fallon and James Corden. And this partially explains how the three were able to put together such an impressive show so quickly.
“We've all been working on and rehearsing our own bits for anywhere between 1-11+ years. Some are what we call signature acts that we have been performing and doing variations on and others we made specifically for Birds of Play. …We are all training and creating work constantly. It's a daily practice. We had three days in the actual theater to put the show together before our preview!” -Tanya Gagné
