"O" - The Bellagio's Cirque Show Offers Excitement, Acrobatics, and Water!
Written: Sep 27 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's an eye-popping, awe-inspiring show.
Cons: It's also a wallet-shrinking show.
The Bottom Line: "O" is a great introduction to Cirque du Soleil.
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| chelledun's Full Review: Cirque de Soleil |
Contrary to popular belief, Vegas is not that cheap these days. Quality entertainment, in particular, often comes with a hefty price tag. For this reason, the Chelledun family picked just one show on our recent Vegas trip. The consensus was the Cirque du Soleil’s “O” which, fortunately, turned out to be well worth the money.
Know Before You Go
Cirque is big business in Vegas. This animal-free “circus” franchise offers half a dozen different shows including the Beatles-inspired “LOVE”, the sexually charged “Zumanity,” and the water-based “O”. We picked “O” in part because the incorporation of water seemed like a cool concept and in part because we were staying at the Bellagio on the evening we attended the show.
Unlike with many other long-running Vegas shows, do not expect to find last minute or even discount tickets to anything Cirque-related. After all, these shows are currently the hottest ticket in town. Admission is not cheap – the best seats at “O” will set you back $150.00. The worst seats cost $93.50. We opted for the second category of seats for $125.00 per person, figuring that if we were paying at least $90.00 no matter what, we might as well ante up a but more to ensure a good view. “O” is performed every night except Monday and Tuesday. The first showing is at 7:30 p.m., the second at 10:30 p.m.
Theater Information
The “O” theater is upscale enough to fit right in at the Bellagio. Up until about a half hour prior to show time, guests are kept in a holding area filled with Cirque-inspired art. There is a bar and a popcorn/candy stand. Surprisingly, goodies are apparently allowed in the theater. My sister and her friend opted for drinks and regretted it after learning the nearest restroom facilities are well outside the theater and lobby, and require a trip to the hotel’s casino.
The "O" theater itself is fairly awe-inspiring. It is well-designed and richly colored in reds, blues, and golds. We found the plush chairs comfy and our Category 2 view excellent. Once the show starts, most of the action takes place in or on a water tank which can be raised to ground level or lowered to a great depth in mere seconds. As a result, performers can walk, swim, and dive, all in the exact same space depending on its height at a given moment. The concept is tough to describe, but very cool to see.
Absolutely be sure to bring a sweater to “O”. I’ve seen this warning elsewhere but failed to heed it myself. The theater is FREEZING! I have read that the stage is kept at a much higher temperature than the seating area, so maybe there are just continuing issues with temperature regulation.
The Show
The plot of “O” is followed loosely, at best. It appears to center around a young man who seems to be pursuing a young woman. This theory is supported by what appears to be a wedding at one point in the show. To me, however, “O” really seems to be more of a series of discrete “acts” than a single cohesive story. In other words, I did better once I stopped trying so hard to understand the plot. Performers rush in and out, costumed as animals, acrobats, and various other circus standbys, performing on trapeze, diving boards, and dry land. The costumes themselves are worth a trip to see – somehow they seem to stay dry and brightly colored no matter how often they are dipped in the drink!
For me, show highlights nearly all involved the in-stage pool. I loved, loved, loved, the high-diving segments, during which multiple performers did seemingly death-defying dives into a tiny segment of open water. Equally entertaining was a segment featuring a “Russian Swing”, where performers use their own weight to propel each other into the air for spectacular acrobatic feats of diving. I found myself white-knuckled every time a diver attempted a particularly dangerous stunt. The element of danger certainly adds to the adrenaline rush that comes with watching this show. Nerve-wracking in a different way is the use of fire throughout “O”. Performers dance with fire and, at times, even are caught on fire! To add to the show’s intensity, Cirque provides interesting social commentary along with its acrobatic feats – namely, “real’ circuses are evil. The way the animal-clad performers are treated by Ringmaster-type characters makes a poignant message about the cruelty that circus elephants, lions, and tigers are often subjected to.
While much of the show is fairly deep, the use of clowns throughout keeps things light. Yes, I said clowns. Don’t get me wrong – I normally hate clowns with a passion. They’re creepy! However, “O”s two jibberish-spouting characters are downright hilarious. They reappear multiple times before and during the show and had our audience in an uproar with their various water-related gags. “O” lasts a little less than two hours and has no intermission. A few segments drag, most notably a male contortionist who just won’t quit contorting and a slightly redundant pirate-themed acrobatic segment. A few portions are also just too oddly artsy for my taste, including one with a ballerina-esque performer performing a routine while suspended on a headless torso. On the whole, though, the show moves pretty fast thanks to the frequent transitions between acts, and there are plenty of portions that are down-to-earth enough for anyone to enjoy.
Overall…
The Bellagio’s “O” is an excellent display of strong, talented, and artistic individuals. I highly recommend this show as it provides all the elements which traditionally make up a Cirque show while also incorporating amazing water stunts. Although the show drags at a few parts, the variety of performances ensures that everyone will find something that they like. While the $100.00 plus ticket price is a bit steep for a show timed at less than two hours, in the end we were glad we dished out the dough.
Recommended:
Yes
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