None — ATLANTA, Ga. -- Take amazing costumes, add in some humor, incredible stunts and unbelievable displays of human strength, put it all under the big top, and you'll start to understand what Cirque du Soleil's "OVO" is all about.
Cirque du Soleil's crew rolled into Atlantic Station a few weeks ago. Workers have spent that time constructing the blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau which houses OVO. Wednesday night, organizers held the final dress rehearsal for the show in front of a packed house. Numerous media members and sponsors were in the crowd. Nelson's News on wsbtv.com even scored an invite to the big event. We saw Glenn Burns, Jovita Moore and Carol Sbarge from WSB-TV in attendance. Jimmy Baron from DaveFM and Vikki Locke from B98.5 were there as was Sheree Whitfield from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
Most people are familiar with the concept behind Cirque du Solei's shows. Most of the company's shows tell a story while spotlighting artistic entertainers that can perform stunts and body movements that dazzle the mind.
The roots of the company trace back 25 years to a group of 20 street performers. Today, the company has 5,000 employees, including 1,200 artists from nearly 50 countries.
I've covered a couple Cirque du Soleil's shows in the past working for wsbtv.com, but by no means am I an expert on all things Cirque du Soleil. That's why I took along some help for this story, the Cirque expert in the family, my wife, Karen Hicks.
She's seen a half-dozen Cirque du Soleil shows, including some here in Atlanta and a few in Las Vegas.
"Unbelievable," was her reaction to the show.
"The best I've seen," she said. "It's amazing what they were able to do in the space they have."
She noted the show was funny and did feature some amazing costumes, but it was the artists themselves that left the biggest impression.
"I'm dumbfounded at what several of the performers were able to do with their bodies," she said. "Think about it, do a one-hand handstand, turn your feet parallel to the floor, and oh by the way, you're trying to do that while balancing yourself on a rope 20 feet off the ground."
Here's some information from the press release for OVO that tells what this Cirque du Soleil show is all about.
"The name OVO means "egg" in Portuguese. OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects' home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion."
"When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It's love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in the bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye - and the feeling is mutual."
"The cast of OVO comprises 54 performing artists from 16 different countries. OVO features many acrobatic acts including a stunning flying trapeze act: Six (acrobats) soar 40 feet in the air, making this act the biggest of its kind ever presented under a big top by Cirque du Soleil . It combines many circus disciplines: banquine, Russian swing and swinging chair. The final act features 20 artists running, jumping and leaping up a 24-foot vertical wall."
The show is in town now through Dec. 19. There's a nightly performance Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. There are two performances each day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The show is dark on Mondays.
Tickets start at $35 for kids, $50 for adults.
A few things to note: there really isn't a bad seat in the place in terms of the view. Some events are better off watching on the JumboTron. There isn't a JumboTron at this show and there isn't a need for one. There's only about 50 rows of seats that wrap around 3/4 of the way around the Grand Chapiteau. The closer you are to the front center of the stage, the better. Sections 101, 102 and 200 have a direct view of the front of the stage. Like most venues, seats are close together, so if you need extra room, pick up an aisle seat.
OVO is one of 21 shows that Cirque du Soleil is presenting this year throughout the world.
WSBTV
