Three Great Essentials

"The three great essentials to achieving anything worthwhile are: first, hard work, second, stick-to-it-iveness, and third, common sense."

- Thomas Edison

W "O" W

"O" is Cirque du Soleil's first aquatic show and it plays at Bellagio, Las Vegas. "O" is inspired by the concept of infinity and the elegance of water’s pure form. The name of this production, "O" sounds like the French word "eau", meaning water, the show's theme. Like all other Cirque du Soleil's shows, performers are the heart of this show too. Basic elements of water, earth, fire, and air are mixed and mingled in a variety of spectacular performances of dancing, swimming, acrobatics, and clowning. It's hard to describe the seemingly indescribable wonder and artistry of Cirque du Soleil's shows. You have to see, to experience it. But, I will give it a try.

As soon as you walk into the theater, you know that you are in for a treat. The theater is designed in the style of a European opera house. The stage Cirque du Soleil created for "O" could almost be numbered among the show's stars. The whole show takes place in, on, around, and above a breath taking 1.5-million-gallon pool. The vast stage is first an empty lake, then a distant shore, and then a tiny pool. The set & the theater alone were worth the price of admission, let alone the talent, the costumes, the live music & the ingenuity/creativity. The amazing feature of "O" stage is that it turns dry or wet in a matter of seconds. You see someone jumping into water and the next moment, you find someone walk across the stage as if he were walking on the surface of water. "O" pays tribute to the magic of the theater - from the simplest street performance to the most lavish of operas - where anything is possible and where the drama of life plays itself out before our very eyes.

"O" is an amazing show with lots of Acts. An international cast of 81 artists(acrobats, swimmers, contortionists, dancers and iceberg-bound clowns) perform these acts. The various acts range from Fire, Synchronized swimming, Russian Swing to High Dive and Aerial Hoops. My favorite was the Russian Swing act where the performers swung back and forth till they jumped off into the pool below. The other Act which stands apart is the Contortion. In this, four Mongolian girls create various forms with their graceful body language and movements. There are couple of Trapeze acts where aerialists perform their dance in the air with the trapeze. Most of the acts are gymnastically challenging and they are spectacular.At the heart of the production, the swimmers provide the necessary link between the elements of fire, earth, air and water.

Cirque du Soleil is always awesome and "O" is no doubt a great show. But, you can always point out some minor points, again, based on your expectation and preference. There is no story in "O" unlike other shows. I do agree with other reviewers who state that there could have been a story line because it seemed to be just a series of "acts" to me, rather than a linked story. The clown Acts are occasionally funny and not that great. If you're looking for death defying stunts you won't find them in this show. For that you would need to see Ka or Mystere. But if you're looking for a beautiful tapestry of music, some acrobatics, and a truly surreal and artistic display, this is the show for you.

All in all, "O" is visually stunning and impressively athletic. On the one hand, it tests our concepts of what "theater" is supposed to be, and on the other hand, it does what theater is meant to do--inspire our imaginations and touch our hearts. The hard work and dedication that goes into preparing for these shows are unbelievable. I think most of the people are little apprehensive about paying so much for their seats. But after the show, I can guarantee that they will have no regrets.

Thoughts

We are what our thoughts have made us;
so take care about what you think.
Words are secondary.
Thoughts live; they travel far.

- Swami Vivekananda