Cirque du Soleil’s OVO features an ecosystem of bugs and plants with incredible dancing and unbelievable acrobatic tricks. But beneath the surface of the production lies an entirely separate ecosystem of moving parts.
Cirque du Soleil is one of the world’s most popular circus companies. Its performances combine dance, theater, acrobatics, unique costumes, and original music. OVO, one of their touring arena shows, tells the story of a colony of bugs and explores themes of curiosity, love, and camaraderie, incorporating all of the staple Cirque du Soleil elements.
Although OVO has been touring for the past 15 years, the revamped production premiered in the United States on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the DCU Center in Worcester. OVO proved itself to be a thrilling experience for all ages, while also sharing its message of community, acceptance of others, and teamwork.
Just three hours before they took to the stage for the restaged show’s US debut, performers Dani Maloney and Jesse Harris and senior publicist Janie Mallet spoke about their OVO experience.
Mallet revealed that there was a year-long process creating the set design, acts, music, costumes, and transitions for the restaging. Old videos from as far back as 2009 were used to create a hybrid of all past performances. The integrity of the original show was respected; the idea was to come back to the source, but also move forward by growing and learning from the past.
“When you’re doing the same show frequently,” Maloney said, “many times a week for a long period of time, it becomes about ‘How do you keep it alive?’ and ‘How do you keep it fresh and interesting?’ not only for the viewers, but in your own mind.”
The work on the production – before and during tour – is unending. The elements of the performance are continuously being tweaked, and Harris shared that this leads to intense training. Twelve-hour work days for six days a week are expected during the rehearsal season, encouraging steady improvement.
“It is a very organic thing that is constantly growing and evolving, even within different group acts,” he shared.
There are also repairs, maintenance, inspections, and validations regularly to ensure everything is functioning as it is meant to. All of the components of the production require numerous helping hands. The OVO team consists of more than 150 people, of 25 nationalities. This includes stage managers, performers, technicians, and the show’s creation team working around the world.
The employees all come from a multitude of career backgrounds, from sports to working in a common trade. But all paths eventually led them to the allure of Cirque du Soleil, creating one big “family” as Mallet called it.
Harris attended a Cirque du Soleil show every year for his birthday growing up, which prompted him to start competitive gymnastics when he was 14 years old. When he enrolled in a summer camp at École Nationale de Cirque, he was able to view circus performing as an accessible profession for the first time in his life.
“I fell in love and haven’t looked back,” he expressed.
At 7 p.m., after hours of preparation inside the DCU Center, the habitat set up on the stage began buzzing with life as ants juggled and scarabs flew through the air, captivating the crowd with their dazzling act.
(Cirque du Soleil is offering a $25 discount for each ticket to see OVO live this weekend (Jan. 9-12) at the DCU Center. Click on the link HERE to order tickets. For more information about OVO and its national tour, see schedule and ticket information HERE.)
–Jan. 10, 2025–
