Personal Stamp: Cirque du Soleil's OVO

Due to Tee's trip down under to attend WorldCon, and my busy schedule of late, Tee and I decided to postpone the next chapter of our series on Twitter clients for iPad for another two weeks.  We realize that this has been a long time on a single topic and that folks would probably like a break. I had planned to slot in another review here, but in the past two weeks I haven't had the time to get anything else ready. But I didn't want to leave my reader's hanging, so as a sort of intermission in the Bird House Rules series, I'm offering up this Personal Stamp recommendation. Which also has an intermission of its own.

This weekend my wife and I had the good fortune to attend a performance of Cirque du Soleil's OVO. For those who might not be familiar with Cirque du Soleil, it was formed in 1984 and is dedicated to pushing the limits of human capability in terms of performance, entertainment, and imagination. They have redefined traditional circus performances into a new art form that continues to delight and surprise. The Cirque is headquartered in Quebec, Canada, but has touring and permanent shows all over the globe. Information about the shows in production is, naturally, available at the Cirque du Soleil website.

OVO is the latest touring show from Cirque, although I'm sure new shows area already being created. OVO is a whimsical look into the world of insects, so if you have an insect phobia, you don't really want to go. But for everyone else it is an amazing show, with comedy, drama, and fantastic feats that will make you wonder if the performers are human, or truly insect. I was astounded by the skill, athleticism, flexibility, and versatility of the cast. This show differs from previous Cirque shows I've attended in that the cast is smaller, and they are much more integrated into each other's acts. Past shows have seemed to be a collection of individual acts chosen to fit a common theme for the show, with clowns and the artists acting as extras at the beginning and end of individual acts. In OVO, the performances are more integrated. While several kinds of skill are spotlighted, a single performer may have a solo spotlight, a performance in a small group, a performance as part of a larger group, and still participate in the dance routines that connect the spotlight acts together. You really have to admire the stamina of these performers.

I don't really want to say much more for running the risk of spoiling the show for some of you. I don't believe that OVO will disappoint on stage. While the prices in the store and at the concession stand may shock, astound, confound, the show itself is delightful, and it is clear that all of the Cirque touring staff enjoy being a part of bringing joy and entertainment to so many people.