If Malcolm Gladwell’s postulation about the amount of time it takes for elite performers to achieve mastery in their fields, the cast of “O” by Cirque du Soleil easily passed that mark long ago. Most of the original performers are still with the show and have dedicated well more than 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to their roles. Audiences now see amphibious acrobats and diving daredevils that have taken boldly aquatic artistry where no one has gone before.
“September 1st was our 10,000 performance,” says senior company manager Tony Ricotta. Only Mystère counts more shows in its history among the Cirque productions of the Strip. At the time of its opening there had been far fewer Cirque productions around the globe. It may have seemed easy to choose the element of water as a main theme, but the show was initially meant to be integrated into the Bellagio’s iconic lake. “When we opened Bellagio, the presence of water was everywhere,” says Ricotta, who is serving his second stint with “O” after being company manager for Viva Elvis, Zarkana and KÁ. “The Bellagio theme is from Lake Como and all of that area of Italy. That is what inspired Bellagio—the core of Bellagio, the theme of Bellagio, the romance of Bellagio. So with a simple request on the part of Bellagio to say to Cirque, ‘We want a new show to complement Mystère,’ but just make sure it has a water theme.’”
It was subsequently decided that the show would have its own theater indoors, and the creators from Cirque du Soleil set about developing a show centered around a pool that was 25 feet deep and held 1.5 million gallons of water. The title of the show would be a pun on the French word for water (“eau”), and the shape of the letter “o” would inspire the shape of the pool, acrobatic apparatuses and movement of the performers.
Early Renaissance Italy would inform initial design and costuming ideas for a storyline that follows Sicilian boy Philemon’s adventure in a magical realm where mystical creatures play with fire, and his muse Aurora sits on a grand piano that disappears beneath the pool’s surface. Concepts were dreamed up such as a ship manned by a crew of acrobats (“Bateau”) and zebra-skinned gymnasts holding on to a giant aerial jungle gym as sky and water create a storm (“Cadre”). Hand balancers defy gravity on a floating platform. Footmen and a pair of clowns keep the continuity and momentum going.
Windstorms caused the cancellation of September and October shows that would have taken place on the lake, bringing “O” full circle to its conceptual birthplace. But by that time it had been decided an expansion was in order. In December, “O” will become the only Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show to be performed seven nights per week, picking up speed as it heads towards 20,000 performances of elite performers demonstrating mastery in their respective fields.
Bellagio, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Wed.-Sun., $98.50-$155 plus tax and fee. 702.693.8866
