Revisiting my childhood with OVO

Ants: Foot juggling/icarian games from "OVO"
Image courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

They never cease to amaze. OVO is the latest Cirque du Soleil show to come through the Santa Monica Pier under the Grand Chapiteau. It is, by far, the most whimsical show I've seen in the Cirque du Soleil repertoire, with beautiful, brightly colored costumes and playful characters.

OVO is a journey into the world of bugs. It is part love story, part adventure, and pure imagination. The initial thought of "insects" doesn't necessarily scream "beauty" for many of us. Leave it to the talented people at Cirque du Soleil, however, to change your mind. For a brief moment, I imagined myself as a young child again, and one who happened to stumble upon a secret world of insects trying to figure out this mysterious egg which has entered their realm.



Unlike past Cirque du Soleil experiences, this was the first time I had my daughter with me. There we were. Two children - one literally, and one metaphorically, of course. She was delighted by the colors, sounds and movement of the characters. While the show is appropriate for kids, adults will find some of the more mature humor relatable. OVO is truly a show for audiences of all ages.

The usual Cirque du Soleil suspects of acrobats, aerialists, high-flying trapeze artists, jugglers and more are all part of the show, but it is definitely not predictable. Always full of surprises, if the acts of OVO don't take your breath away, the set and costume designs most assuredly will. For me, this was one of the more memorable Cirque shows, I think for the mere fact that it touched my inner-child and recalled my youth, when I chased for butterflies and kept grasshoppers as pets.

OVO by Cirque du Soleil runs now through March 25 at the Santa Monica Pier under the Grand Chapiteau. Tickets start at $45 for adults and $31.50 for children 2-12. Tickets purchased for shows between March 21-March 25 will benefit the ONE DROP foundation, aimed at fighting poverty by giving access to clean water through innovative programs. And, now through Valentine's Day (speaking of love story), Cirque du Soleil has some special offers to help you show your love.

Some fun facts about OVO:

• Show director Deborah Colker is the first female director at Cirque du Soleil
• 123 people representing 22 countries make up the cast and crew for OVO (55 of the 123 are cast members)
• +150 people are employed locally as ticket takers, ushers, receptionists, etc. during a traveling show
• The traveling show has a kitchen with 1 kitchen manager and 3 cooks, and a school with 2 full-time teachers on-site

Cheers-

Julie