One of the company’s latest big shows is O. Simple name but certainly not a simple experience. It’s the first of its kind in performance arts, where most productions are set on a stage with props and such. But O is a water themed show, created by Cirque de Soleil and is now one of the company’s most successful shows to date. O, pronounced eau – the French word for water, uses one and a half million gallons of water for its aquatic acts like the synchronized swimming and the aerial lifts. Every aspect of the breath taking performance is centered in or around the water and, in result, gives its audience the experience of a lifetime.
Cirque de Soleil, meaning circus of the sun’, was founded in 1984 by street performers Guy Laliberte, Gilles Ste-Croix, and Daniel Gauthier. It’s become a widely popular live performance show across the world but not many know that it originated from Canada and is now the single largest theatrical production company in the world. With the decline of the use of animals in circus performances, Cirque de Soleil was the perfect resolution to keep the industry alive and today employs over four thousand people from over forty countries.
Each Cirque de Soleil show is unique and has an original storyline which the acrobats and other performers carry out for the audience using an array of props and affects. With every beautiful show you can expect to find spandex clad performers flying high from the rafters on ropes and ribbons, dancing with the luring flames of pyrotechnics, and moving along to the sound of captivating theatrical music.
The Plot of Cirque de Soleil O Las Vegas:
If you are going to see the show for the first time and are expecting an easy to follow plot then prepare to be sourly disappointed. O is a fantastic and magically woven tale of so many different stories, all interchangeably working together towards an end. There are main characters, two in particular, that make up the bulk of the plot, but the show has its ways of distracting you from them. But, to put it simply, without giving away too many details of the show, O follows the daring love story of a young man and woman. The man sees her from afar, it’s love at first sight, and he then follows her into the magical and watery world of O.
The Main Characters:
Cirque de Soleil O Las Vegas has many, many working parts and characters in the show, but there are a small handful of main stars that you’re meant to follow. The first is Guifa, or Philemon, a young man who has a thirst for adventure and is constantly in search of a fantastical quest. Then there’s Aurora, a beautiful young woman and artist who happens to catch the eye of Guifa and she then becomes the start to his magical quest into the realm of O. Once the two main characters are transported to the watery world, they are separated and both embark on their own journeys to find each other.
The Costumes:
If there’s one thing you can count on with any Cirque de Soleil show it is the magnificent costumes that the performers wear to portray their characters. Where Aurora and Guifa sport plain clothing, the rest of the dancers and acrobats more than make up for it with vibrant and electrifying pieces. Inspiration for many of the costumes were drawn from different aspects of Indian and Venetian culture. Rainbow colored leotards so tight you’d swear they were actually body paint, hypnotizing synchronized swimmers in zebra outfits, gorgeous Arabic inspired outfits on dancers that swing from the ceilings, and so many other mind blowing hand-made costumes that you honestly have to see to believe. Some of the outfits are so delicate that the company built a separate room with heating so that they could air dry, and half a dozen loads of wash are done each day to ensure that all costumes are clean and ready for the next performance.
The Props:
Aside from the elaborate costumes, Cirque de Soleil is well known for the unique and often custom made props. In Cirque de Soleil O Las Vegas, you can expect to find dancers, acrobats, and swimmers playing out the show with giant hoops dangling from the ceilings, a humongous flying horse that’s suspended from what seems to be nowhere, a vertical wall that gyrates and moves while performers act out an epic battle whilst climbing it, and then the trapeze performers use delicate and sensual silks to tumble through the air.
The Experience:
I’ve been lucky enough to have seen Cirque de Soleil O Las Vegas twice in my life. The first time I was by myself and spent the evening with my eyes wide, unblinking at the majesty before me. I was mesmerized and stunned beyond belief at the beauty I had witnessed and I just couldn’t believe that there were people in the world who could do the things I had just seen. It was pure magic.
The second time I saw O I was with my sister. She’s not into the arts like I am, and had only come to Vegas with for the casinos. She’d heard me gush about the show so many time before and I was surprised when she agreed to go with me for the second time, it being her first. I sat through the show, completely overtaken once again, stealing glances at my sister whenever I got the chance. Her face was unwavering and not once did she comment on any part of the show. My stomach dropped about halfway through when I realized that she probably wasn’t enjoying it and maybe I was just a crazy person for loving the show so much. But, thankfully, I was wrong. After the show, my sister followed me out of the O Theater, still speechless, and then suddenly exploded in emotion and excitement.
I was so happy to find out that Cirque de Soleil had created a film called Worlds Away’ which combined a few of their best shows (including O) into a beautiful display of a unique love story.