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. 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. The music is quite upbeat. It is a really enjoyable theme and an enjoyable story. It’s a massive celebration of nature with an assortment of insects adding to its attractiveness. Grab this chance and go through the fun live. Kids are going to adore the characters.
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.
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.
The costumes of Ovo were designed by Liz Vandal and evoke the appearance of insects. 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.
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.
Master Flipo: The principal character, Master Flipo, keeps everything in this chaotic world in order.
Foreigner: The Foreigner, another principal character, is a fly from a far-away land who brings with him the mysterious ovo.
Ladybug: The Ladybug is the third principal who brings life and joy to the world of insects, and also ends up falling for the Foreigner.
Dragonfly: The dragonfly flits throughout the entire performance and performs the hand balancing act.
Spiders: Four spiders provide mystery and caution throughout the show. Their acts include contortion and slackwire.
Fleas: Five spry fleas jump about with flashes of red and yellow as they perform acrosport.
Ants: The ants carry kiwi and corn with them on their journey as they perform foot juggling.
Butterflies: The duo butterflies fly through the air in a Spanish web duo.
Firefly: The firefly flits about performing with diabolos.
Mosquito: The mosquito adds character to the performance while also being part of the powertrack, trampoline, and wall act.
Scarabs: The 12 strong scarabs fly through the air twisting and spinning in the flying trapeze act.
Crickets: The 10 crickets jump and leap about in green streaks as they do power track, trampoline, and wall.
Creatura: A mysterious Creatura brings life to the party with his dancing.
Cockroaches: The 9 cockroaches are seen singing and playing music throughout the entire performance.
I hope you enjoy the show!
