BWW Reviews: Ovations for OVO, Cirque du Soleil Returns to Houston

The unmatched quality of Cirque du Soleil returns to Houston with OVO.  Remarkable circus acts combine with an imaginative world of insects to form an unparalleled abstract elegance.  Presented under an intimate, blue and gold big top at the Sam Houston Race Park (a.k.a. the "Grand Chapiteau"), OVO is an adventure into a fanciful delight.

OVO is the 8^thCirque du Soleil show to visit Houston, however many local theater goers will probably remember Cirque Dreams Illuminations which performed at the Hobby Center February of last year.  It's hard not to compare the two productions and Cirque du Soleil far exceeds in every category.  Even though it features acrobatic insects, OVO is a show of sophistication.  It has a refinement non-existent with other "modern circus" acts elevating the show beyond stunts to true art. 

The sheer talent of the performers is truly remarkable.  The grand finale tricks used by other circus acts are what these performers use for warm up.  As a man holds onto a rope and holds a woman only by her foot 50 ft above the stage, it's hard to realize the skill and strength required when the performers make it look so easy.  The fluidity of each cast member's movement is beautiful in its self.     

Set in an imaginative, vibrant ecosystem of insects bursting with color, OVO intertwines mind-boggling circus feats with a storyline of a community awestruck by the appearance of a mysterious "ovo," which is Portuguese for "egg".  The ovo is first delivered to the community by a fly named "The Foreigner" depicted by Barthélémy Glumineau.  However as the insects' attention turns to the peculiar object, the fly's attention turns toward a lady bug played by Michelle Matlock.

The most impressive act is an incredible flying trapeze routine which is the biggest act of its kind ever presented under a Grand Chapiteau by Cirque du Soleil.  Six flyers dressed as scarabs soar 45 ft above the stage from Russian swings and chairs to land on a middle, suspended platform with unbelievable accuracy. 

I also enjoyed the "Ants" who featured foot juggling.  These five women (Han Jing, Su Shan, Wang Shaohua, Zhu Tingting and Pei Xin) juggle large cylinders painted like kiwi slices in perfect unison and then proceed to juggle each other.  The aerial strap routine by butterflies Svitlana Kasherova and Dmytro Orel is also moving as they share a flying love dance back dropped by gigantic blossoming flowers.

However one of my favorite acts was "Cocoon" featuring Marjorie Nantel and aerial silk.  Through this simple and short routine, Nantel elegantly fights her chrysalis to transform into a beautiful butterfly with wings nearly as tall as the bit top.

The spectacle comes to a close with 20 artists tumbling, jumping and walking straight up a 26 foot vertical wall aided by trampolines and a "power track".  The timing and coordination of the performers is incredible as they fill every corner of the stage with acrobatics. 

The Wall act features the show's 10 "crickets" who have the most amazing costumes of the show.  Detachable legs that break away from the performer's bodies convincingly depict the movement and structure of a cricket.  The initial cricket costume required 75 hours of work for each piece in order to ensure the costume had the required rigidity while maintaining flexibility. 

Costume designer, Liz Vandal was inspired not only by insects but also futuristic superheroes incorporating flattering lines and elongated, corseted looks into her designs.  A native of Montreal, Quebec, OVO is Vandal's first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.  The brilliance of her designs is how each costume successfully depicts the insect being portrayed while cleverly staying out of the way of the acrobatics.  Part of her secret is a technique that was developed of pleating fabrics to provide three-dimensional muscle, volumes and shells.   

As with almost all Cirque du Soleil shows, the music is performed live by an eight-piece band.  Unlike musicals, the music needs to adapt to what is going on stage.  To pull this off, the band leader and musicians are in constant communication with the sound staff via headsets and microphones.  Composed by Berna Ceppas, born in Rio de Janeiro, the music provides a Brazilian feel featuring percussion combined with funk and electro music.  The music in OVO achieves a perfect balance between excitement and accenting the act taking place on stage while remaining subdued enough to keep the focus on the performers.

However with how impressive each act is itself, this makes the "community" numbers which open and close the show seem dull.  These acts serve as a "welcome" and "good-bye" number featuring all the cast members but the simplistic group dancing is a letdown after all the impressive feats. 

The other act I disliked was "Secret Love," which is a comedy routine between the fly, the ladybug and a roach named Master Flipo (played by Simon Charles Bradbury) occurring in the second act.  Serving as a modern clown-act, "Secret Love" attempts to provide a comedic relief moment but instead slows down the show.

The impressive Grand Chapiteau provides an intimate setting for the performance with no seats very far from the platform stage.  With each row elevated above the row in front, viewing is also suburb.  Since premium ticket prices are nearly as high as the aerial acts themselves; don't be afraid to spring for the more reasonable Level 1 and Level 2 seats.  However be warned that all the seats are very narrow making the big top almost too intimate with the seats next to yours. 

Cirque du Soleil (or "Circus of the Sun") presented its first performance in Quebec City in 1984 to celebrate the 450^th anniversary of Canada's discovery.  OVO is the company's 25^th production that was created in its 25^th year of 2009.  As of December 2010, OVO has been performed more than 600 times for over 1 million people.

The insects of OVO will migrate out of Houston after their final performance on April 10, 2011.  Until then, the insects perform Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. with some exceptions.  For more information and to purchase tickets visit http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/.

Photo credit : Photo: OSA Images Costumes: Liz Vandal © 2009 Cirque du Soleil

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