Ovo (Cirque du Soleil)

Ovo
Company Cirque du Soleil
Genre Contemporary circus
Show type Touring show
Date of premiere April 23, 2009
Location Touring
Creative team
Writer, director, and choreographer Deborah Colker
Creation director Chantal Tremblay
Set and props designer Gringo Cardia
Composer and musical director Berna Ceppas
Costume designer Liz Vandal
Lighting designer Eric Champoux
Artistic guides Guy Laliberté
Gilles Ste-Croix
Sound designer Jonathan Deans
Makeup designer Julie Bégin
Rigging and acrobatic equipment designer Fred Gérard
Acrobatic performance designer Phillipe Aubertin
Other information
Preceded by Criss Angel Believe (2008)
Succeeded by Banana Shpeel (2009)
Official website

Ovo is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil and premiered in Montréal, Canada, in 2009. Ovo's creator and director, Deborah Colker, took inspiration from the world of insects. The idea for Ovo was not to be about the acts, nor dancing, nor insects, but about movement.[1] The movement of life permeates the entire show with creatures flying, leaping, bounding, and crawling. Composer Berna Ceppas brought additional life to Ovo with a score inspired by the music of Brazil. ovo means "egg" in Portuguese and represents the underlying thread through the show. Graphically, inside the logo of Ovo, is an insect. The two O's represent the eyes and the V forms the nose and antennas.[2]

History

During late April 2011, Ovo had to cancel performances in Ohio due to flooding at Coney Island. The Ohio River began flooding due to heavy rains over the period of a few days. The team had been running pumps, adjusted parking, as well as the show's layout, but finally did have to cancel multiple performances (April 22 - May 1, 2011).[3][4][5][6]

Set and technical information

The stage and set for Ovo were designed by Gringo Cardio and utilize irregular shapes throughout. The rear wall is 19 metres (62 ft) wide by 8 metres (26 ft) high and is only supported at the sides, thus allowing the trampolines for the final act to slide into place. Inset in the wall are 24 "firefly eggs"; these are moulded fibreglass bulbs fitted with LED bulbs which can produce a full color spectrum of light. The "membranes" seen throughout the performance are quite large in scale, the largest being 24 metres (79 ft) wide by 17 metres (56 ft) high. The egg seen at the beginning of the show is inflated to the size of 8.5 metres (28 ft) wide by 7 metres (23 ft) high.[1]

Ovo has the largest flying act yet undertaken by Cirque du Soleil, as of 2010. To support the act there are 80 cables which have to be installed during the performance; this requires the assistance of upwards of 40 performers and technicians. The trapeze net itself is 3 metres (9.8 ft) off the ground and spans 30 metres (98 ft) in length and 15 metres (49 ft) in width.[1]

Cast

Many characters are seen throughout Ovo, three of which are the main characters. The cast of Ovo, as of its premiere, included 54 performing artists from 16 different countries.[7]

Acts

Ovo has ten acrobatic-related acts, whereas the rest are dancing or supplemental to the storyline.[7]

Retired acts

Costumes

Liz Vandal's costumes for Ovo

The costumes of Ovo were designed by Liz Vandal and evoke the appearance of insects.[8] The costumes were created to have areas that appear as sections to replicate the segmented bodies of insects; this was achieved by using permanent pleating, varying finishes, and coloring methods. To also provide the illusion of exoskeletons, a mixture of fabrics were used to create both hard and soft flexible fabrics, thus providing the look of a hard shell without inhibiting the artists' movements.[9]

The crickets have detachable legs, which are removed for the powertrack act, to give the sense of an insect with six legs. The legs also provide the illusion the cricket is oversized, aiding the spectator's illusion of being the size of an insect in this world.[9]

Due to the rigidity of some of the costumes, most characters have two versions of their costume. The first is more lightweight and functional for their acrobatic performance. The second, on the other hand, is more richly detailed and heavier, and worn while not performing their act.[2]

Music

The show's musical influences stem primarily from Brazilian genres such as samba; both the creator and music director are Brazilian. Additional texture is added by the use of sounds of insects throughout the soundtrack. Below is a list of the tracks featured on the CD, which was released on April 13, 2010.[10]

  1. Brisa Do Mar (Pre-show and opening)
  2. Foreigner (Cricket dance)
  3. Ants (Foot juggling and Icarian games)
  4. Cocoon (Interlude into Spanish Web Duo)
  5. Frevo Zumbido (Diabolos)
  6. Orvalho (Handbalancing)
  7. Carimbo da Creatura (Creatura dancing)
  8. Love Duet
    • Spanish Web Duo (2009–2015)
    • Duo Aerial Straps (2016–present)
  9. Scarabee
    • Flying trapeze (2009–2015)
    • Aerial Craddle (2016–present)
  10. Sexy Web (Contortion)
  11. Legs (Interlude into Power Track, Trampoline, and Wall)
  12. Flea Girls
    • Acrosport (2009-2015)
    • Acro-trio (2016–present)
  13. Super Hero (Slackwire)
  14. Secret Samba Luv (Clown Act)
  15. Parede (Power track, trampoline, wall)
  16. Banquete (Banquet and Bows)
Further information: Cirque du Soleil discography

Vocalists

Tour

Ovo started touring in April 2009 in Montréal, Canada.[11][12] They performed their 1000th show on January 29, 2012, while in Santa Monica, California.[13][14] Now that the Japanese run of Ovo has ended, it has been confirmed that the show will no longer perform under the Grand Chapiteau, instead it will be converted into the arena format for its remaining tours.

On April 8, 2016, OVO began re-premiered in the arena format in Lake Charles, Lousiana. Just one week later, on April 15, Cirque du Soleil announced the cancellation of OVO in both Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina citing the recent signing of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act by North Carolina governor Pat McCrory, the Company announced in a press release that "Cirque du Soleil strongly believes in diversity and equality for every individual and is opposed to discrimination in any form. The new HB2 legislation passed in North Carolina is an important regression to ensuring human rights for all."

The following colorboxes indicate the region of each performance:
 EU   Europe  NA   North America  SA   South and Central Americas  AP   Asia/Pacific  OC   Oceania  AF   Africa

Grand Chapiteau tour

Arena tour

2016 schedule

  •  NA   Lake Charles, LA - From 8 Apr to 10 Apr 2016
  •  NA   Baton Rouge, LA - From 14 Apr to 17 Apr 2016
  •  NA   Greensboro, NC - From 20 Apr to 24 Apr 2016 (Cancelled)
  •  NA   Cleveland, OH - From 27 Apr to 1 May 2016
  •  NA   Syracuse, NY - From 4 May to 6 May 2016
  •  NA   Philadelphia, PA - From 11 May to 15 May 2016
  •  NA   Bangor, ME - From 2 Jun to 5 Jun 2016
  •  NA   Bridgeport, CT - From 8 Jun to 12 Jun 2016
  •  NA   Hartford, CT - From 15 Jun to 19 Jun 2016
  •  NA   Atlantic City, NJ - From 22 Jun to 26 Jun 2016
  •  NA   Windsor, ON - From 29 Jun to 3 Jul 2016
  •  NA   Charlotte, NC - From 6 Jul to 10 Jul 2016 (Cancelled)
  •  NA   Greenville, SC - From 13 Jul to 17 Jul 2016
  •  NA   Chattanooga, TN - From 20 Jul to 24 Jul 2016
  •  NA   Huntsville, AL - From 27 Jul to 31 Jul 2016
  •  NA   St. Louis, MO - From 3 Aug to 7 Aug 2016
  •  NA   Manchester, NH - From 25 Aug to 28 Aug 2016
  •  NA   Hershey, PA - From 31 Aug to 4 Sep 2016
  •  NA   Hampton, VA- From 7 Sep to 11 Sep 2016
  •  NA   Roanoke, VA- From 14 Sep to 18 Sep 2016
  •  NA   Orlando, FL- From 21 Sep to 25 Sep 2016
  •  NA   Estero, FL-From 28 Sep to 2 Oct 2016
  •  NA   Jacksonville, FL- From 5 Oct to 8 Oct 2016
  •  NA   Erie, PA - From 17 Nov to 20 Nov 2016

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cirque du Soleil (2010). Ovo Souvenir Program (in English and French). upc: 4 00005 11037 5.
  2. 1 2 "Ovo Press Kit" (PDF). Cirque du Soleil (Press Kit). Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  3. ↑ "Due to ongoing weather conditions". Cirque du Soleil. 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  4. ↑ "Ovo in Cincinnati, OH". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  5. ↑ "Cirque du Soleil Cancels More Shows". WLWT-TV. 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  6. ↑ "Cirque du Soleil cancels performances until May 1". WXIX-FOX19. 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
  7. 1 2 "Ovo: Acts and Characters" (PDF). Cirque du Soleil (Press Kit). Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  8. ↑ "Ovo - Costumes". Cirque du Soleil (Press Materials). Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  9. 1 2 Clément, Ronald (2009). Cirque du Soleil 25 Years of Costumes (in Chinese, English, French, and Japanese). Canada: Dépôt légal, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada. pp. 138–143. ISBN 978-2-9803493-4-8.
  10. ↑ "Music of OVO". Cirque Tribune. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  11. ↑ "Ovo Tickets". Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  12. ↑ "Ovo (Tour Schedule)". Cirque Tribune. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
  13. ↑ "Ovo - Cirque du Soleil". Ovo. Cirque du Soleil. January 29, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  14. ↑ Emilie Nadeau (January 29, 2012). "Ovo celebrates its 1000th performance today - Sunday, January 29! Congrats to all the cast & crew!". Cirque du Soleil PR. Cirque du Soleil. Retrieved February 8, 2012.

External links

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