You may be no particular fan of insects — is anyone? — but the ones in Cirque du Soleil’s magical “Ovo” might force you to reconsider. Not only are these insects sexy, but they speak with a French accent and perform such stupendous feats of physical grace and athleticism that they’ll leave you gasping.
Written and staged by choreographer Deborah Colker, “Ovo” — which, in case you wondered, is Portuguese for “egg” — is one of Cirque’s most seamless and stylish shows in years. The insect theme makes for dazzlingly colorful stage imagery and costumes, from the giant spider web and cocoon incorporated into some of the routines to the cute cockroach outfits worn by the musicians.
Mostly free of the contrived story lines and attenuated variety acts that have bogged down some of Cirque’s recent productions — there’s a love story involving a ladybug, but feel free to ignore it — “Ovo” fluidly melds its awe-inspiring circus acts into a wonderful, otherworldly whole.
Among the most stirring moments provided by the 54 performers are an acrobatic routine in which ants playfully spin and juggle giant pieces of kiwi and ears of corn; an aerial ballet that turns seriously steamy; a flying trapeze act that’s thrilling even by Cirque standards; and an exhilarating finale featuring “crickets” propelling themselves up and down a giant wall with the help of trampolines. It’s all accompanied by a hypnotic, Latin-flavored musical score.
After 25 years, it’s easy to take Cirque du Soleil for granted. But the terrific “Ovo” is well worth yet another schlep to Randalls Island.