A Review of Ovo

There is no denying that Cirque du Soleil (referred to here as Cirque**) is the modern face of circus. It shapes many of the ideas we have about what circus is and who can do it (a longer, more philosophical post on that later). Thus, the review of their new show, Ovo:

SET-UP
The first thing you should know: this is a different show from classical Cirque. Post-Dragone Cirque shows have been known to struggle finding their voice***. Those familiar with Cirque's earlier works will find this show significantly different. For one, the transition choreography is a little more crude, a little less elegant, and a little less clean. It works well for the theme of the show: bugs, which are awkward and strange. The overall plot follows three clowns. One is a foreigner bug, who has an egg which is stolen by the other bugs. He spends most of the show trying to get it back. One is a "lady" bug, who falls in love with the foreigner and spends most of the show flirting with him. The other is... a leader... I guess? His role isn't clear, but he guides the other bugs. Interspersed between the bugs' attempts to pursue their goals are the circus acts.

THE ACTS
* Handbalancing - The first act is handbalancing. While it's clean, well done, and the choreography is clever, it is not necessarily a show stopper. I still want to play on the apparatus he gets to use.
* Foot juggling - The foot juggling ants are certainly a highlight and a huge crowd favorite. They are really where the circus part of the show gets going.
* Diabolo - The diabolo act was solid as diabolos go, but I think it's really hard for one person to make the act impressive. Even in one ring, the act seems dwarfed by the stage.
* Spanish web duo - The Spanish web is an area that I can't really discuss without a supreme amount of bias. I feel like "static" aerial acts are really not pushed to their highest possible levels. This act certainly enforces that feeling. The chemistry between the male and female counterparts also felt a little off.
* Caterpillar - The caterpillar is a variant of the human slinky act. It was amusing and a great way to get the audience engaged.
* Volants - The volants (a flying trapeze/cradle/banquine/Russian swing hybrid set high above the stage) were highly impressive in my opinion, but the crowd didn't seem as engaged by them as I was. This act was the end of the first half of the show.
* Contortion - The second half started with contortionists. While the set was really cool, it was extremely underutilized. I also thought this was probably the messiest act. There are three "spiders" performing contortion, but they are all over the stage and performing different things at the same time. No one knew where to look and probably missed the best parts. I'm really sad that set didn't stick around for more than one act.
* Acrosport - The acrosport was probably put too close to the contortion in the line-up. While I know the difference, I can see how the audience thought they were similar. The act was also pretty safe. Which brings us to the two power acts at the end:
* Slackwire - This is where all of the mind blowing started. The slackwire act was not only flawless, but allowed the audience to see how hard the act could be. If an act looks too easy, why should the audience be impressed?
* Powertrack/wall - The powertrack/wall remains one of my favorite Cirque acts (or really a combination of my two favorite). My non-circus companion actually believed that Cirque had found a way to turn off gravity for this act.

OVERALL
Since clowns are a big part of a circus, I worry that the clowns in Ovo were a little forgettable. My companion and I both liked one of the spiders who was on stage during transitions more than the main clowns. The story was just a little too simple for my taste. The transition choreography does a good job of reflecting the properties of bugs. However, it also creates a disjoint between the silly, zany bugs and what they become when they do their acts. Suddenly they concentrate, point their toes, and make elegant lines with their bodies. I wonder if Cirque will ever allow their acts to get messy. The worlds they set their acts in (this world in particular) are messy, zany and less than absolutely perfect. They require some acts where performers are not afraid to break their lines and put more expression into the acrobatics as well as the transitions. I look at Ovo as an experiment in a new direction, rather than a final destination. I think it's a very positive direction to be going in and an exploration worth having.

So in conclusion: This is a good show. It's not Cirque's finest, but it is good. The acts were solid and not half-finished (which has been a complaint about shows in the past). If you have never seen a Cirque show, this is a good one to see. If you have, you might want to see it for ideas on making comfortable acts fresh. On the other hand, I worry sometimes that Cirque will just keep expanding to new audiences relying on old tricks. Some of us who have followed Cirque for years are hungry for something new, something more; not just in one act, but every act. Circus is about pushing boundaries and seeing where the human body can go. I'd like to see a flying leap rather than a step up.

** There are many circus shows with "Cirque" in the name. I'm an merely streamlining for this post.
*** Some of Cirque's best work was post-Dragone, but the quality after his departure has been inconsistent.