No matter your expectations, odds are “O” is going to surpass them. Still one of the most ambitious productions on the Las Vegas Strip, “O,” (which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year) paints an elaborate tableau using the entire theater. As suspended props rock back and forth over the main stage while acrobats swing effortlessly on them, performers on the stage, in the crowd and behind you create indelible moments of their own—it’s impossible to see everything this show has to offer in one sitting.
But the real power of “O” derives from its usage of water (“O” is a play on “eau,” the French word for “water”). The stage submerges in an instant and just as quickly re-emerges to form dry land, As the landscape constantly changes, you’ll see high-divers, a man reading a newspaper while fully engulfed in flames, contortionists, clowns in a boat, an audience member who turns out to be your show guide and much more.
It all adds up to a seductive world that may not make any literal sense, but as you soon come to discover, this is an experience to be felt, not explained. It’s the essence of Cirque du Soleil.
Bellagio, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Wed.-Sun., $98.50-$155 plus tax and fee. 702.693.8866
