CH-CH-CH-CHANGES
South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
April 6, 2007 Friday
Two visiting Russians are giving the historic art of the quick-change
costume act an update, writes Katie Lau
It sounds like a model’s dream come true: being able to slip
effortlessly into one glamorous outfit after another in seconds.
Visiting quick-change artists Sos and Victoria Petrosyan have updated
the traditional performance art by combining fashion, stage- craft and
sleight-of-hand in a display that has dazzled audiences the world over.
In a series of performances over the Easter weekend, the Russian
couple will showcase a collection of evening wear that they whisk on
and off at lighting speed.
A hectic schedule has meant the Petrosyans have to start rehearsals
at a crowded shopping mall immediately after their long flight from
Athens, where they attended a convention alongside top international
magicians such as Ed Alonzo and Juliana Chen. Yet the pair show no
signs of fatigue. Within minutes they’ve cajoled a passer-by into
assisting in their act.
As Victoria is tied up with ropes, the helper is asked to stand in
front of her. Sos raises a piece of cloth to hide them from view.
Within 20 seconds, it’s whipped away to reveal Victoria wearing the
man’s jacket – under the ropes.
Afterwards, the volunteer says: "It’s incredible. They took my jacket
off and I couldn’t see what she did … I’ve never seen anything
quite like it."
Quick-change is to the west what bian lian (face change, which
originated in Sichuan opera) is to China. The art began in Italy in
the 1600s and has since been adopted by comedians, circus performers
and magicians across Europe and incorporated into theatre forms such
as commedia dell’arte.
Styled as "the new generation of quick-change", the Petrosyans
revitalised the form by pumping it up with fashion, modern dance moves
and upbeat music. Their shows feature an assortment of couture gowns
fitted with quick-change devices. Although some artists are keen
to show as many characters as possible, quantity does not interest
the Petrosyans.
"We don’t want to just show how quickly we can do the changes. We
want to tell a story with a combination of movement, dance and magic
tricks. It’s important to make it interesting for the public," says
Sos, a former ballet dancer.
Although the art has hundreds of years of history, he says there’s
plenty of room for innovation. "There’s been big interest in the
genre over the past five years … It has many possibilities we should
explore," he says.
But the 35-year-old is saddened by widespread plagiarism among
quick-change entertainers. "I can’t believe it. They don’t just
imitate our style but also our website, photos and video clips. We
challenge them to not copy each other … Innovation and creativity
is uppermost."
The Petrosyans’ mastery of the craft is as much in their wardrobe
techniques as their agility and timing. The pair spends hundreds
of hours adjusting their costumes to ensure the switches are
super-smooth. "I have to make sure it looks good," Sos says. "We pay
attention to the details. A thousand small things have to be changed
so they all work well in sequence."
Each costume is discarded after six to seven months to keep their
presentation fresh.
With the high turnover of costumes, the Petrosyans have become
proficient designers and tailors. "We’re always shopping for good
fabrics … we travel with a sewing machine," Victoria says.
But the work also means they can’t spend as much time with their two
sons, aged 11 and seven, as they would like. "My elder son said,
‘I want to see my mum not sewing a costume’. You see sometimes it
takes up too much of our time," Sos says.
But the youngsters seem to have inherited their parents’ interest
and talent. Both aspire to be magicians and have already won a number
of competitions.
Sos, who was born in Armenia, learned juggling and quick-change from
his father, a circus performer. It gave them something in common,
he says.
But Sos only found his calling after seeing Russian artists Liubov and
Anatoli Sudarchikovi present a quick-change act with quality fashion.
"[Quick-change] is about doing everything in sequence and it’s the
interesting part of magic," Sos says. "They inspired me to do something
new with the genre."
He was determined to create a total quick-change experience complete
with choreography, lighting and special effects. "It’s not just an
act," he says.
Sos made his debut as a quick-change artist in 1991. Five years later,
his act became a double act when he met Victoria and the couple fell
in love. "I got interested because of him," says Victoria, who was
pursuing a law degree at the time and knew little about magic acts.
Now based in Germany, the Petrosyans have performed in more than 28
countries. When they’re not performing, they attend prestigious magic
festivals and competitions. The pair have won top prizes at events
such as World Magic Championship and the Paris Magic Festival.
>>From next summer, Sos will be spending time in the US in a
collaboration with rap artist 50 Cent. "I want to show this to the
young generation," Sos says.
For all their experience and practice, he admits things occasionally
go wrong.
"Mistakes are common. One time my wife’s costume was supposed to change
from black to red, but she was in blue instead. It was magic for me,"
Sos says with a laugh.
Such crises demand quick wits and improvisation. But it takes more
than that to stay in the business, he says. "You have to love it. If
you don’t and only treat it as a job, it won’t get you anywhere. I
know couples who are in this for money and I look at them 10 years
later. It’s all the same – the only difference is they’re getting
older.
"As in anything you do, you have to have passion. If I’m tired of it,
I’ll stop doing it," he says. "I won’t do it just for money."
Sos and Victoria Petrosyan are at the Atrium, 1/F New Town Plaza,
Sha Tin, at 4.30pm and 7.30pm until Sunday and at 4.30pm on Monday.
Inquiries: 2684 9175 or 2691 6576
GRAPHIC: Credit: David Wong; Sos and Victoria Petrosyan also rope
members of their audiences into their quick-change performances.