This kind of slapstick humor would be difficult for any performer to sustain for a two-hour running time even while being divided into two 15-minute intermissions. These happy hoofers had the time to soar but instead, crashed because their duck tales were not fully explored and fleshed out.
The audience was forced to invent a backstory in their heads since there was no dialogue or proper plot for them to follow. Many questions go unanswered such as “who is the biggest diva in the Lake” and “why is this chick molting so much?”
Onlookers don't know who to root for when they see the bird of prey attacking a dancer because they don't know the reason why. It seems to be every diva for themselves in this competition for attention. The only things missing were their marbles to roll the steps like in Showgirls!
Even though these birds act more like cats, there was plenty to admire within this fragmented French fairy tale. To truly make a strong parody the source material needs to be well executed before it can be dissected and sabotaged. The talented Trocks make that part look easy and hometown hero Duane Gosa was clearly a standout during several mesmerizing sequences.
Ballet is an art form that begs to be torn down because of the pretentiousness and attitude associated with it over the years. Ticket holders who went on a journey to the Lake and were able to see the good, the bad and the ugly.