Ovo is a touring circus production by Cirque du Soleil that premiered in Montréal, Canada in 2009. Ovo's creator and director, Deborah Colker, took inspiration from the world of insects. The idea for Ovo was not to be about the acts, nor dancing, nor insects, but about movement. The movement of life permeates the entire show, with creatures flying, leaping, bounding, and crawling. Composer Berna Ceppas brought additional life to Ovo with a score inspired by the music of Brazil. Ovo means "egg" in Portuguese and represents the underlying thread of the show. Graphically, inside the logo of Ovo, is an insect. The two O's represent the eyes and the V forms the nose and antennas.

Set and technical information

The stage and set for Ovo were designed by Gringo Cardia and utilize irregular shapes throughout. The rear wall is 19 m wide by 8 m high and is only supported at the sides, thus allowing the trampolines for the final act to slide into place. During its arena tour, Ovo used the stage from the Cirque show Dralion. Inset in the wall are 24 "firefly eggs". These are molded fibreglass bulbs fitted with LED bulbs that can produce a full color spectrum of light. The "membranes" seen throughout the performance are quite large in scale, the largest being 24 m wide by 17 m high. The egg seen at the beginning of the show is inflated to the size of 8.5 m wide by 7 m high. Ovo has the largest flying act yet undertaken by Cirque du Soleil, as of 2010. To support it, eighty cables have to be installed during the performance. This requires the assistance of upwards of forty performers and technicians. The trapeze net itself is 3 m off the ground and spans 30 m in length and 15 m in width.

Cast

The cast of Ovo consists of three principal characters and numerous others in supporting roles. At its premiere, the makeup of Ovo included 54 performing artists from sixteen different countries.

Acts

Ovo has ten acrobatic acts, whereas the rest are dancing or supplemental to the storyline.

Acts in rotation

Retired acts

Costumes

The costumes in Ovo were designed by Liz Vandal and evoke the appearance of insects. The outfits were created to have areas that appear as sections to replicate the segmented bodies of insects. This was achieved by using permanent pleating, varying finishes, and coloring methods. To also provide the illusion of exoskeletons, a mixture of fabrics was used to create both hard and soft flexible fabrics, thus providing the look of a hard shell without inhibiting the artists' movements. The crickets have detachable legs, which are removed for the powertrack act, to give the sense of an insect with six legs. The legs also provide the illusion that the cricket is oversized, aiding the spectator's illusion of being the size of an insect in this world. Due to the rigidity of some of the costumes, most characters have two versions: the first is more lightweight and functional for their acrobatic performance. The second, on the other hand, is more richly detailed and heavier, and worn while not performing their act.

Music

The show's musical influences stem primarily from Brazilian genres such as samba; both the creator and music director are Brazilian. Additional texture is added by the use of sounds of insects throughout the soundtrack. Below is a list of the tracks featured on the CD, which was released on April 13, 2010.

Vocalists

Tour

Ovo started touring in April 2009 in Montréal, Canada. They performed their 1,000th show on January 29, 2012, while in Santa Monica, California.