The Handwalker

A risk of blending circus and choreography is overwhelming the senses of the audience. Ms. Paulus did want moments, like the reveal, of “a visceral explosion where you can’t possibly take it all in,” but she also sought instances of singular virtuosity — star turns, if you will, even by performers who don’t have major parts. Ms. Snider created one such moment with the acrobat Philip Rosenberg. The two had worked together on the Off Broadway show “Traces” by their Montreal troupe 7 Fingers (Les 7 Doigts de la Main). Ms. Snider knew he could walk on his hands and noticed that the “Pippin” set included staircases for the Act I finale. She proposed moving one to center stage during “Magic to Do” and having him walk upside down. Mr. Rosenberg said he took a couple of spills in rehearsal, but he hasn’t had one in performance.