Cirque Du Soleil – Ovo

This review is a year overdue. Cirque Du Soleil — Ovo was playing in SF in 2009.
I took my bf here for his bday and he LOVED it. As far back my memory can allow me to remember, it was very entertaining, cute, and the acrobats were fantastic! My son (6 yrs old then) went, and he LOVED it as much as we did.
For a show that is «On-​the-​Road», its really good! This show is great for kids.

One of the New Year’s resolutions my plus one and I had as a couple was to go to more shows. As much as I love SF I like the fact that CDS comes to downtown San Jose. So the grand tent is near the 87 which is convenient!
I saw the show in San Jose last night I was pleasantly surprised.
What I liked about this year’s show was that they incorporated all aspects of the stage. they had tons of man holes in the stage itself, used a wall and over course had some crazy mid air acts! As usual the costumes and energy was captivating.
My favorite pieces
1. cricket jumpers
2. the spider man
3. the cute bug couple on the single rope
The ants and some of the other acts are the ones that are reinvented but were cute nonetheless.
As fellow Unilocaler Randy would say «American Express friendly.» AMEX users not only get five bucks off purchases when they use their card but also had access to some short behind the scenes clips from the CDS website by their AMEX plastic when purchasing their tixs.
For an early Valentine’s Day gift the plus one got me a bag I had my eye on :-).
Lots of errors were made during our show which I actually appreciated being that it proves these people are human (The people next to us were talking @#$# and it’s like can you do any of that? NO. so STFU).
I cannot wait until next year :-)

This is my 3^rd Cirque show and I’ve really enjoyed each performance. The music in Ovo is my favorite to date. Had I not seen Mystere and O in the past, I’m sure I’d have given Ovo 5 stars… but O left the bar very, very high. Cirque is good at putting together different acrobatic acts into one dramatic theme, I guess I just felt the interludes this time were a little too predictable (and heavy on the posing) with the love story between ladybug and horny bug. My favorite acts were the «foot jugglers» with their kiwi and corn cushions, and the grand finale of the trampoline/​climbing wall lizards. The costumes and set are amazing.
We took our 8 yo and the show was easily accessible and entertaining to him, despite his typical (for an 8 yo boy) verbal reaction of «yeah, that was okay.» Just the kind of response to make mom cringe when she lays out that kind of cash for a special experience. :)
Seats are on the small side (not much legroom for my leggy family). They keep the tent comfortably warm despite the outside chill. BYO toilet paper if you’ll want to go after the show. They didn’t refill between intermission and the end.
We saw the last show in SF. Ovo is now headed to San Jose.

This was one of my wife’s Christmas present for the family: an afternoon showing of Cirque du Soleil’s «Ovo.»
My wife and I have seen all of the different productions of Cirque du Soleil since the late ’80’s. We enjoyed every one of these unique shows, and we just started bringing our kids about 5 years ago. As with most of their tours, the venue is always outdoors in a large tent. Most of the seats are pretty good (except for those behind the tent posts). For kids, or for those who are vertically challenged, one can request booster cushions from the ushers.
No pictures are allowed in the tent, as I found out after I took this pic with my iPhone (
). This is for the safety of the performers. Hard to tell the audience to turn off the flashes of their cameras, so they make it a general rule of no picture taking.
The performance?
As I mentioned earlier, each Cirque du Soleil production is unique, and has a different theme. Some themes appeal to others, like Dralion, Alegria, Mystère, or Saltimbanco, and depending on an audience member’s connection with the theme, it may influence how they like a production.
Honestly, I like all of the productions. I can appreciate the creativity and design of the costumes and sets, and how they must work with a performer’s dancing and acrobatic skills. I can also appreciate the training these performers must undergo for a production.
This year’s theme, «Ovo» (which means egg in Portuguese), was created and choreographed by a Brazilian Deborah Colker, the first women to create a Cirque production. As was previous reviewers have mentioned, Ovo has an insect theme, with these insects fascinated with this egg that appears out of nowhere.
As with all Cirque productions, there are clowns, contortionists, jugglers, tumblers, and aerial performances. All captivating performances, alongside with the Brazilian-​themed music that was playing in the background.
My girls loved this show, especially the youngest, who was laughing at the clowns in one scene, or awestruck with mouth agape during the aerial performances.
Another great and entertaining Cirque production that didn’t disappoint us. (We were hungry for dinner after the show, but that’s another story
)

You gotta love Cirque du Soleil because they never disappoint! I went to the 4PM «Ovo» show on its second to the last day during its San Francisco run, and man was I so glad to catch it. My ticket wasn’t bad at $ 78 — my seat was waaaaaay over to the left though in the first row of the 2^nd section, but it had a pretty great view of all the Cirque antics up close.
Because my seat was on the end, I had plenty of elbow, shoulder and leg room, but one of those green bug things crept up to me quietly over my left shoulder and scared the bejezuzz out of me while I was distracted looking at something else! I screamed like a little girl and people actually thought I was part of the show! ;D Haha, I will never forget that! It was all in fun really, but I stared down that guy so he wouldn’t do it again! ;)
The show was luminous with colors, visuals and unbelievable acrobatics, making your senses come ALIVE — I loved it! I had such a good time! Navigating to your seat through clearly marked numbered doors made crowd control easy and simple, plus they had plenty of ushers to help you find your seat. The gift store had plenty of trinkets, bags, clothes, and umbrellas to buy, and their food looked pretty decent. They had wine too.
I’m looking forward to the next Cirque show to come through San Francisco! X)

I had the privilege of sitting front row at Ovo and I absolutely LOVED it! This is the second Cirque performance I’ve seen so far and I do plan to see more. The artists and performers are nothing short of amazing! They do a great job at capturing the audience’s attention through participation. There is never a dull moment at Ovo and kids of all ages are sure to have a great time. The storyline not only revolves around the theme of life, but also incorporates love, comedy and nature.
There is so much detail put into the costumes of the characters, and what I admired most about the performers was that they really knew how to bring out the personailty of each character. My favorite character was the African American lady bug. I thought this character added a great touch to the cast because its not every day you get to see a [female] African American character in Cirque. Not to mention sista had curves! Beautiful curves! I’d have to say that my favorite acts were the young Asian girls who did a variety of acrobatic stunts, as well as the various «bugs» who were jumping and flipping off the walls.
I am definitely looking forward to the next Cirque performance because their shows seem to keep getting better and better!
OVO!

After being to several prior Cirque Du Soleil shows at PacBell, I have to say this was by far the BEST overall experience I’ve had.
I was treated here for my birthday and was kindly given the VIP Tapis Rouge experience. The night started out with VIP parking right in front of the tent. Having dealt with general parking in no man’s land before, this was a really nice way to start off the evening.
The magic continued with our seating. Dead center right by the stage… all I could say was «Wow»! The show itself was truly amazing. Compared with prior years, I thought this year’s production really took the set & costumes to a whole new level of innovation. For some reason, the entire bug/​reptile theme really worked for me.
At intermission, the Tapis Rouge tent had yummy little desserts and the drinks were flowing. I wish I knew what champagne they were serving cause it was uniquely sweet & fruity.
The second half of the show further made my jaw drop in awe. The end sequence with the climbing wall was simply amazing!
Overall, this was one of the best birthday presents I have ever received. I’ve experienced Cirque before… but never like this :)

This was the first traveling Cirque Du Soleil show I’ve seen. I enjoyed the show, but it just didn’t compare to seeing Ka or O in Vegas. Not a fair comparison I’m aware, but I’m still comparing as the prices we paid were relatively the same.
The music and production was great — lots of colors and each of the acts were entertaining. Definitely enjoyed the majority of the acts and even though we were in the very last row, we still had a great view. The venue is quite small and I imagine every seat in the house will not disappoint.
Get your tickets through Goldstar so you get 40% off — if the shows coming to your town and you don’t mind spending a bill, check it out. :)

The production itself was definitely 5 stars but my seating experience inside the Grand Chapiteau was less than stellar. I’ll write more about the specifics of the seating further into this review.
Since no photography is allowed inside the venue I’m borrowing some internet photos to perk up my review. The production follows a prickly bug known as «The Foreigner» (
) and the egg that he carried on his back as he stumbled into a colorful forest of unknown bugs all envious of the big egg in his possession. When he stops to take a rest his egg gets carried off by a bunch of crickets (
). If you haven’t viewed the trailer on the Ovo website, and you are curious about what to expect take a look at this and you will get an excellent idea of what you will see:
The show was colorful, amazing and spectacular with beautiful costumes and elaborate sets. The show opens with a dragonfly doing a hand balancing act. Our seats were located very close to the stage and it was interesting to view his facial expression throughout the act as he looked so natural performing skills which require great strength and balance. The six Chinese girls dressed like red ants were equally amazing as they juggled big kiwi slices, huge cobs of baby corn and themselves using only their feet (
). A Russian couple dressed like butterflies without wings performed a series of breath-​taking maneuvers using a single rope high above the stage with no safety apparatus below. Diabolo acts are common to me from watching Chinese acrobats, but the gentleman dressed like a firefly was simply fascinating controlling up to three diabolos at one time just using one control stick (
). A dance number with a giant Slinky-​like creature (
) was fun to watch, and I’m still curious how many people were inside that costume as its size kept fluctuating from big to small. A high-​flying trapeze act featuring performers dressed as scarabs was very reminiscent of a similar act I saw at O at the Bellagio recently. The high mid-​air vaults were amazing.
Following a half hour intermission to clear the stage of the safety netting for the trapeze act the second half of the show opened with a mesmerizing dance number from a trio of spiders. The main dancer’s (
) motions were so fluid and beautiful to watch. A quintet of fleas performed a series of captivating acrobatics (
). A spider did a slack wire act (
) featuring great balance and a handcycle; his facial expression and hand motions elicited more applause from the crowd. A segment featuring The Foreigner and his egg played out. This segment of the show also featured a trio of surprised guests among the audience. Two of the individuals they chose were more fun to watch that the interaction between The Foreigner and the Ladybug, but as these stories go a happy ending (
) was no surprise. The final sequence involves crickets, a huge climbing wall and trampolines. It was yet another awe-​inspiring act. The ants, butterflies and spiders join in doing balance tricks on the wall while the crickets do what they do best with their high leaps. The grand finale featured all the performers on the stage, and had my seats been more comfortable I would recommend the show to everyone.
The chairs are awfully small inside the big top and all the seats are crunched together. There was very little leg space and no elbow room to boot. You’ll need to get to know your neighbors really well because you will be scrunched up between them for two hours during this production. It was okay that I had a lady friend next to me on my right, but it was not so great for the oversized gentleman seated to my left. The seats are bolted to the floor of the wood deck of the row behind so every time somebody in the roll behind you stomps their feet the seats move as if someone is constantly kicking your chair. I turned around and gazed at the old man seated behind me because I originally thought he was kicking my chair. Sorry sir, I didn’t mean to offend you. For tickets costing over $ 150 each the seating structure was a huge disappointment.

My first Cirque Du Soleil ever. and I definitely was not disappointed! The show is about insects finding an egg and having an obsession with it… weird right? But when I watched it, it was AMAZIING, from the costumes, the music and most of all, the acrobatic acts! Sure, more shows have similar acts but Ovo took things to another level. My favorite was the first and last act. I won’t ruin it for you here… but you just need to see it! Everyone was amazing in it, esp the slack rope guy! Watching this makes me wish i was as flexible! I never knew the body could bend certain ways…
The live band and singer were incredible. The music was great! I loved how the band members were even dressed up to match the theme of the show.
I got Level 1 seats in 104 which is side front to the stage. Was it worth it? $ 90/​seat? I think 201 seats would have been better since it was more center, but it was awesome being so close! The tent is relatively small, so Level 2 seats would have been good also. Level 3 seats give you a profile view of the show, and some seats are slightly behind the stage…
I haven’t heard anything bad from anyone about this show. SOme even say it’s better than Kooza and Ka!

First time at a Cirque Du Soleil show — I liked it. Walking up through the parking lot, I was baffled how everyone and everything was going to fit inside the tent. But like the classic circus act with 27 clowns in a little toy car, they somehow manage to stage a big show in a little tent with high-​flying acrobatics, lights, sound, and an adoring audience.
At its core, the performance is a series of acts showcasing different physical talents: bendy people, aerialists, foot jugglers, etc. The acts are loosely strung together around a «plot» involving insects, a lost egg, and a pretty lame love story. Live music keeps things moving along, too.
My favorites were the foot juggling ants and the trampolining grasshoppers. My least favorites were the creepy spiders who bent into shapes that made me uncomfortable. Everything was impressive, and none of the acts went on for longer than it should have. The music was excellent.
I purchased my tickets through Goldstar which offered a pretty good discount. We ended up in the back row, center-​stage, but were still close enough to see everything. Cool stuff.

The Verdict: «Breathtaking and absolutely entertaining. Never thought insects could look so beautiful!»
I went here for a Sunday night showing and it was a fantastic time! The tent was completely full with ever chair occuppied. Each act was colorful, exciting, and intoxicatingly entertaining! My favorite was the act with the cocoon and butterflies/​moths since it was so elegant, natural and serene, plus it was all done in the air and seemed like they were telling a love story of two butterflies. I loved all the acrobatic acts since the performers made everything seem so light, free and vivid.
During parts of the show, the praying mantis came out to interact with the audience which not only brought excitement into the audience but also distracted us enough to buy them some time to set up the safety nets for the acrobatics. Genius! At one point they sat right behind us!
There is ample parking in the huge lot surrounding the tents and I think it was free. Food was available for sale in the Bistro line as well as the regular snack line. Souvenirs and other products were available for sale as well. Lines were efficient and the employees were courteous. We even got to enjoy our wine/​beer/​beverages/​snacks during the show. Restrooms were well-​kept porta potties. I definitely felt like I was at an upper class circus event. No need to dress up unless you want to.
Would I Recommend It? Yes, it was a night to remember!

Cirque Du Soleil is in town again & Ovo is the show of the year!
I really liked the new musical theme to this show — not the techno /​house /​electronica mysteriousness we’ve all come to know & love but a tropical /​latin upbeat happy tune
…which seemed to suit the Bugs just fine. Costumes were amazing & super creative — major props for the costumes!
Acrobats were their usual incredible selves & our entire show was almost error free — except for 2 trapeze guys who overshot the flip & ended up going into the net — I even think 1 guy was hurt b/​c he got off the net & went off stage… the other guy just climbed back up the ladder
(Hope You’re Okay!)
More contortionists in this show than others & boy oh boy were they flexible… everything from the Kiwi Girls, to the Highwire Guy, to the Juggler, to the Trampoline-​Wall Climbers… it was all just amazing
Up until the end of the 2^nd act, I was thinking to myself this is a FANTASTIC show… the clown bit ruined it
There was like 30 min of the 2^nd act that was nothing but clown & I was like GET. Onnnnn. with. it.
If they had cut out that part & just ended the show that much earlier, I would have come out of there saying OMG how phenomenal… but how it was, I came out thinking meh
So overall 4 stars — we were SO close to 5

I love any Cirque du soleil shows. My goal in life before I pass away is to attend every Cirque du soleil that exists across the country! I have to be honest though, OVO is going to be the bottom of my list… I still loved the theme of the bugs. It was a unique theme that I haven’t been able to witness in the past. It was cute, adoring, and creepy at times.(due to the performers’ RIDICULOUSLY gumby stringed bodies)
Overall, I wasn’t impressed throughout the whole show. It didn’t keep me in awe and excited the whole time. My favorite acts were the kiwi feet dancing red bugs and definitely the trampoline act. I wish they did more with the walls though. I always love the acts they include to have the audience participate. Comedians that lady bug and colorful one were. I wasn’t sure which bug the spiky one was though? My favorite of all time though is probably the cricket costumes!!! I loved the macarena looking act! it was cute and funny! shake that BOOTY!
What i like about the shows under the grand chapiteau is that both times I have been here, live music and singing was present. It always makes the shows livelier and more real. It makes you feel like you are indeed under a tent witnessing a cirque show! Seats are a tad close to each other. But there are plenty of space for your legs. Heated interior. of course a must!
But man! NICE PORTER POTTIES! clean, includes a flusher. I would not be scared to go to those potties ever if all of them were like that everywhere we go!
yes i saw that egg OVO get rolled around throughout the show. but i thought something at least would pop out of it :(!

I think I would make a good French clown. I could wear some oversized florescent green suspenders and a little red bowler with a daisy sprouting out of it. God forbid they should make me get on a trapeze (unless there is tequila involved) much less have me bend over backwards while rotating a gigantic kiwi slice on my nimble feet (again unless there is tequila involved). But you can see little Olga Korbut-​like androids do that very trick in unison with not only kiwi slices but little cobs of niblet corn. And you can sway to the Brazilian music just like the girl from Ipanema.
Ah yes, Ovo is a cornucopia of rainforest flora and fauna with one humongous egg in the middle of it all. What does the egg mean? Life? Evolution? A Denver omelette awaiting its fate? I’m not sure, but while I was pondering how much bacon I would have with that egg scrambled, I was able to enjoy an army of able-​bodied «insects» in green spandex bouncing onto a wall. Hell, I could do that if I didn’t let my gym membership lapse… three years ago. Cirque du Soleil is so French. Love it. Hate it. Slap it until it begs for more Jerry Lewis. You know what you’re getting, and you can get it for 40% off on Goldstar even if the seats were designed for anorexic corpses.

A great show! But what else would you expect from Cirque du Soleil? I’ve been to A LOT of cirque shows and this one managed to keep my attention, made me laugh, and had me at the edge of my seat with the performances.
This show starts ON TIME at 8pm so make sure to get here a little before start time so you can find your seat and get settled. We arrived 3 minutes before 8pm, found our aisle seats, and took off our coats while the lights began to dim. Thats how close we came to the start time!
The tent is warm inside so dont worry about freezing, you will not. During intermission, there are plenty of bathrooms, a concession stand for food, and plenty of things for you to buy in the store area.
They have plenty of parking in their lot. I dont know how much it is though since we were able to find street parking.
A great time!!!

AMAZING!!! This was my first Cirque du Soleil and I loved it!
So much happened it is hard to remember everything! I loved the show and all the acts were pretty spectacular and different.
We were in VIP seats, right in the front, and I have to say it was a little difficult for me to see. I almost think seats a little farther back would have been better because you have a more wide-​angle view. There is so much action happening on every part of the stage that I constantly had to move my head back and forth. Either way, they were still fun seats to be in and it didn’t spoil the show.
I was a little dissapointed with the dessert in the VIP lounge and we missed the appetizers before the show…
Still, how can you not give this show 5 stars!!!
I hope to go again!

I’m a Cirque veteran but this is the first time I took my kid! He’s 4 and his mind was completely blown.
Ovo doesn’t have the emotional resonance of some of Cirque’s most memorable shows, but it is definitely one of the most exciting shows. My favorite parts were the slack-​wire acrobat and the guys who jumped from the trampoline up onto the wall. Oh and of course the macho, gorgeous cockroaches in the aerial act!

I’ve seen Ka, Mystere, Varekai, and others on TV and OVO isn’t bad, but it’s by no means great.
A mysterious egg appears. everyone sings and dances, then cue acrobatics. I wasn’t a fan of the theme/​story, though many parts did make me smile /​chuckle. It’s based on the story of a group of insects fighting over a giant egg.
The acrobatics are very good (but i’ve seen most of them before), but not quite on the level of innovation and creativityy as Ka. This is a show you should really watch if you’re in the Bay Area /​Santa Monica, but if you’re near Vegas — those productions are better.
It was opening night, so there were a few miscues and mistakes by the performers, but overall an entertaining show I’m glad I watched, but wouldn’t see this one again.

I strongly believe that Cirque du Soleil is a memorable experience. If you have never seen one, you should — each one has a different theme with its own unique act.
OVO is one I have never been to, the only other one I have been to so far has been La Nouba.
OVO revolves around the theme of insects. In its home, you see the insects play, work, eat, etc. It’s quite amazing how they come alive and make everything just magical.
So in OVO, a mysterious egg appears and all the insects are amazed and curious about it — brought to them by this new insect that is a bit different from everyone else. And when he meets the ladybug amidst their midst, it’s love at first sight between the two of them.
That’s it in a nutshell — it revolves around the insects everyday life and how the new insect follows the ladybug around. It’s filled with amazing feats and amusing scenes in between.
While it is an interesting show — to me, it cannot measure up to the first Cirque du Soleil I have been on — La Nouba. However, if you consider the fact that OVO is a traveling performance, it is amazing how much the performers can achieve. Especially for their first showing for the season in SF.
If you are going to see the show — I would recommend coming a little earlier. Parking at AT&T Park is pricey if you choose the parking lot ($ 20 an event). If you come earlier, you could park on the streets where (off season from the ballpark) would be fairly cheaper. We arrived around 6:00PM for the 8:00PM showing, and parked on the street. It cost roughly $ 2 at most.
Another thing to note: Make sure to use the restroom beforehand — the lines are suffocatingly long.
And the seats are close together and a bit of a jumble to get around.