O
Of all the Cirque Du Soleil shows playing in Las Vegas, O is the second one to open which is still playing. The title O is a take on eau, the French word for water. The show has been playing at the Bellagio since 1998.
I first saw O in October 2009 and was blown away by the spectacle of the show as well as the music. The music is composed by Benoit Jutras, a familiar name from many other Cirque shows. Since I had a two-for-one ticket offer I decided O was my best bet out of all the MGM shows.
As O is based on water, all the acts are choreographed to discuss the various ways water interacts with people. Some of the acts portray the calm, still, beautiful aspect of water and others display the angry and violent nature of water. As a spoiler alert I have decided to discuss some of the acts in O. The show was sold out, which I heard is a regular occurrence, as it is very popular.
Like with all Cirque shows in Vegas there is a preshow. This one consists of two clowns walking around the seating area rolling a giant inflatable tube. After an obvious plant is called over to read the "do not use cameras, etc…" speech, the show begins.
After the red curtain rises the first act is synchronized swimming. If anyone is following along on the O soundtrack the first half is part of the "Desert" track which leads into the Jeux D'eau. The display is beautiful and is further complemented with a nice touch of the cello player playing her solo, rolling her instrument around the water stage. I was amazed how long the swimmers could hold their breath under water and how they were able to keep their bodies vertical while doing spins. Next is a duo trapeze act. The two actors did the usual flips and jumps between each other on a single trapeze. Following this several performers appear on a platform doing a spectacular act consisting of dual body balancing and jumps.
The show progresses further with some dance numbers and clown acts between the major scenes. Sensory overload approached during some of the acts with so much going on. One could see this show several times and always see something new as performers were doing things in the distance and to the side of the main act. One of my favorite acts in the show is a second trapeze act done to the Remous number from the soundtrack. A ship sails towards the audience, spins to the side, and the actors perform a standard trapeze act swinging the ship and jumping from one end to the other.
Perhaps the most popular number from the show is the Russian Swing. Three swings were rolled onto the stage and the actors were propelled at least twenty feet up into the air, performing spectacular dives. Some of the actors were propelled across the stage between each other. Following this act another clearly obvious audience plant is summoned and engages in a nerve-racking high-dive act with four other divers.
O further progresses with aerial hoop acts and beautiful dance leading to Gamelan. This act is perhaps meant to display the way water can bend and flow as the actresses that performed it looked as though they had rubber spines. No human should be able to bend the way they do.
In the end O is an amazing show, it is clearly obvious why after thirteen years the show still plays to sold-out audiences. I am always blown away by the Vegas Cirque shows and the amazing visuals they present. O is very expensive; our seats were $172 each, but it was definitely worth it. The sales people advertise every seat as being excellent but from sitting in the balcony last time I would definitely advise people to spend the extra couple of bucks to sit in section 103. Only minor changes to the acts and order of them seemed to be noticeable from the last time I saw the show. Many Vegas visitors have probably seen O, but if you have not, go!
O
Wed.-Sun. at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Bellagio
(702) 693-7722 or (888)488-7111
$150.00, $130.00, $99.00, and $93.50 + 10% entertainment tax
