O (Cirque du Soleil)

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Album art for official "O" soundtrack

O is a Cirque du Soleil show. It is in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. "O" is Cirque's first aquatic show, which features underwater acts such as synchronized swimming as well as above-ground acts.

Since this is a water based show, every member of the cast is SCUBA-certified. The costumes have a lifespan of 20 shows, with multiple costumes per performer costing about $10,000 to produce.^{[citation needed]} In order for the platform stage to rise and fall without a wake, the surface of the stage has thousands of tiny holes.

1 Creators
2 Technical information
3 Trivia
4 Characters
5 Acts
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Creators

Guy Laliberté - Founder and Chief Executive of Cirque du Soleil
Franco Dragone - Writer and Director
Gilles Ste-Croix - Director of Creation
Dominique Lemieux - Costume Designer
Benoit Jutras - Composer
Michel Crête - Set Designer
Luc Lafortune - Lighting Designer
Debra Brown - Choreographer
François Bergeron - Sound Designer
Jonathon Deans - Sound Designer

[edit] Technical information

There is an invisible wall between the pool and the audience generated by air jets; the goal is to maintain two temperature zones in the theatre. The stage is kept at a higher temperature while the audience area is kept at a lower temperature. A temperature sensor every few seats in the theatre helps ensure the audience area is maintained at the correct temperature.

To minimize damage to the musical instruments, the musicians and their instruments play from glass enclousures in the theater. Some of the musical instruments used in the show are more than 100 years old. The unique string instrument heard in the soundtrack of O is an erhu, a traditional Chinese bowed string instrument.

To maintain a fresh look on the performers, some performers have multiple sets of costumes so they may reappear dry despite having been in the water.

Some of the props are actual boats like the umbrella that the “guide” rides on the water and the horses that the “red guards” ride in the show.

The show has a cast of 85 acrobats, synchronized swimmers, and divers performing in and above a 1.5 million-gallon pool. The pool is kept at 88 degrees Farenheit and has an underwater communication system and regulators that allow performers to breathe underwater.^[1]

[edit] Trivia

"O" is pronounced the same way as eau (French for water).

[edit] Characters

Guifa

Guifà is a young Sicilian boy, whose curiosity and quest for adventure transports him to a magical realm where all of his hopes, fears and dreams come true.

Eugen

Eugen is both the guide and the guardian of the theatre. Strong, yet vulnerable, this aging theatre manager knows all and provokes us to see the dark side of “O”.

Le Travesti

Wearing the clothes of a wicked woman, he coos, he hisses, he murmurs; his primal cries resound throughout the theatre.

The Comets

The comets are noble and sexy, tinged with madness as they soar through the air and fall from the heavens.

The Masked Thief

The thief is a masked character with many faces.

L'Allume

The human torch is a pyromaniac who enjoys pleasing the crowd. He's just passing through, popping up out of nowhere, not worried that he is on fire.

The Waiter

The Bride

Is she lost or abandoned? She is the bride who dreamed of being a queen.

The Zebra

The Zebra in heat skips, waddles and seeks pleasure.

The Barrel Organ Grinder

He can be seen as the guardian of each emerging world. Strong man, organ grinder, guileless giant, ever willing to be helpful.

Aurora

Graceful, fragile and inaccessible, she represents the quest: she stands for fantasy, desire.

[edit] Acts

Opening

Synchronized Swimming

At the heart of the production, the swimmers provide the necessary link between the elements of fire, earth, air and water.

Duo Trapeze

Two aerialists perform their dance in the air, sharing a single trapeze designed to coexist with the water and machinery.

Barge

With strength and fearlessness, this team of talented acrobats performs atop a floating raft in the Barge act.

Clowns sleeping

Africa

Bateau

Charting the course of life and the pursuit of dreams, this steel-frame ship floating 40 feet above the water provides the setting for this unique display of acrobatic timing and strength.

Fire

The rage of fire and the purification of water are brought together then displayed throughout the “O” Theatre in this visual act. The act incorporates ancient folklore and martial arts.

Russian Swing

Pleasure, envy, passion and temptation are everywhere during the honeymoon celebration. Drawing its inspiration from the many wedding chapels of Las Vegas, the church bell atop the largest swing beckons all to join the party...of life, love and death. The swinging movement creates a different trajectory of flight, presenting a unique challenge even for the most seasoned diver.

Clowns' dance

Cadre

Struggling to maintain balance in a stormy universe, the zebras constantly realign themselves, hanging on until the very end.

High Dive

A group of four world-class high divers leap from 60 feet above the ground into a 17-foot deep triangular section of the pool.^[2]

Trapeze Washington

The Washington Trapeze is unique because unlike the traditional rope-hung trapeze, it is built on a fixed metal frame and swings in a long pendulum motion.

Contortion

The four girls' graceful body language and lithe movements underline the balletic perfection of the female form.

Aerial Hoops

This act fuses dizzying aerial choreography with powerful gymnastic routines.

Closing

Solo Trapeze

This the act n rotation of the show. It rotates with duo trapeze and washington trapeze. In this dynamic yet dramatic act, the aerialist becomes one with her trapeze, performing a gymnastically challenging routine.