O (Cirque du Soleil)
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O (pronounced the same way as eau (French for water)) 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 (Le Reve, French for The Dream is also a water show at the Wynn) 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. In order for the platform stage to rise and fall without a wake, the surface of the stage has thousands of tiny holes.
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[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 enclosures 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 Eugen rides on the water and the horses that the Comets 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 Fahrenheit and has an underwater communication system and regulators that allow performers to breathe underwater.[1]
[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. He is a willing prisoner in this kaleidoscopic domain-the witness who is everywhere and every man.
- 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”. His ghostly orchestrations take us on a timeless journey through different worlds as he makes his own transformation from dark to white. He embodies the cyclical part of life where everything old becomes new again.
- 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. They accompany the characters as they make their entrances and exits.
- The Masked Thief
The thief is a masked character with many faces. Sometimes a clown, sometimes a bodyguard, he plays with fire
- 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. Guifà catches sight of her in the prologue, pursues her whenever he sees her, and finds her again in the epilogue.
[edit] Acts
- Opening
Just as water is essential to all life, the swimmer's graceful presence during the acts and segues is essential to “O”. At the heart of the production, the swimmers provide the necessary link between the elements of fire, earth, air and water. Choreographed by Debra Brown and Olympic gold-medalist Sylvie Fréchette, the synchronized swimming team is made up of 17 world-class swimmers.
- Duo Trapeze
Two aerialists perform their dance in the air, sharing a single trapeze designed to coexist with the water and machinery of the “O” Theatre. This visually stunning mirror image reflects the special bond shared by the twins performing the act. Their maneuvers and feet-to-feet catches emulate the beauty of harmony and complete trust
- Barge
With strength and fearlessness, this team of talented acrobats performs atop a floating raft in the Barge act. The core group is comprised of eight female world-champion sports acrobats. Their act combines innovative gymnastic performances with the traditional circus act of banquine and the balletic adagio. Showcasing these skills in a water environment completes this high-energy act, which also includes synchronized swimmers and Olympic divers.
- Clowns Sleeping
- Africa
- Bateau
Charting the course of life and the pursuit of dreams, this steel-frame ship floating above the water provides the setting for this unique display of acrobatic timing and strength. The origin of the Bateau (French for “boat”) is the traditional circus discipline of the aerial cradle, combined here with the parallel bars for the very first time. This dynamic presentation brings the delicate balance of air and water to life. The team of 11 performers, including four women, is made up of flyers and catchers.
- Fire
The rage of fire and the purification of water are brought together then displayed throughout the “O” Theatre in this visual act. Incorporating ancient folklore and martial arts, this act invokes rituals from lands around the world, including Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. The fire act was created and transformed by artists with backgrounds ranging from performing arts companies to street theatre.
- 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 cast includes expert divers using three sets of Russian swings. The swinging movement creates a different trajectory of flight, presenting a unique challenge even for the most seasoned diver. Moving from ground level to the highest point at 32 feet creates a momentary weightlessness at zero gravity, followed by tremendous acceleration down to the water.
- Clowns' Dance
- Cadre
Struggling to maintain balance in a stormy universe - the zebras constantly realign themselves, hanging on until the very end. Resembling a playground jungle gym, this giant aerial frame was created by Cirque du Soleil specialists to facilitate choreography and gymnastics in an aerial space between the sky and the water. Performed by the same group as the Bateau act, the entire number takes place suspended in mid-air.
A group of four World-class divers leap from 60 feet above the stage into a 20-foot deep triangular section of the pool. The team is composed of cliff and exhibition divers.
- 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. The difficulty of this act is heightened as the trapeze is attached to a revolving carousel which descends from the grid at four feet per second. This segment fuses slack wire and tightrope elements with the high technology of the “O” Theatre.
Hailing all the way from Mongolia, these four girls have been performing since the age of eight. Their graceful body language and lithe movements underline the balletic perfection of the female form. Their arrival from above and their aquatic surroundings add a new dimension to this long-held circus tradition.
This act fuses dizzying aerial choreography with powerful gymnastic routines. Water is incorporated as both an atmospheric and a choreographic element. This traditional circus act is reinvented with the addition of water and its relationship to the sky.
- Closing
- Solo Trapeze (in rotation)
In this dynamic yet dramatic act, the aerialist becomes one with her trapeze, performing a gymnastically challenging routine. The performance concludes with a spectacular dismount, which links together the elements of air and water
[edit] References
- ^ O Cirque du Soleil show review. VEGAS.com..
[edit] External links
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