Cirque du Soleil’s Family-Oriented, Nature-Themed “OVO” Comes to Chicago

The latest Cirque du Soleil show to hit Chicago is full of creepy, crawly insects.

“OVO,” written and directed by Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker, is about a day in the life of bugs.

The show begins in the morning when a new fly visits a community of insects, carrying a mysterious egg (“ovo” in Portugese) with him. The fly meets a ladybug who falls in love with him.

Throughout the day, the entire community of insects eat, crawl, flutter, play and fight. The show ends in the evening, coming full-circle with the community’s acceptance of the fly and bugs falling in love.

Here are a few reasons “Ovo” might be worth getting your family together for another trip down to the United Center.

Because It’s Light and Fun
“There’s a very strong sense of celebration about the play … it’s full of color, it’s full of energy,” says Simon Bradbury, who plays Master Flipo, one of the protagonists.

While most Cirque du Soleil shows are “mysterious and dark, ‘OVO’ is the absolute opposite in many ways,” he says.

Because Your Kids Love Bugs
Another unique aspect of OVO is the insect theme, different from most of Cirque du Soleil’s shows. “We’re not portraying any human characters on the stage. [In] all the other Cirque shows you can recognize human characters, and here it’s only insects,” says OVO’s Artistic Director Marjon van Grunsven.

And the show is family-oriented. “Children won’t be particularly frightened by the clowns,” Bradbury says.

Because It’s Good for a Laugh
Both van Grunsven and Bradbury agree that OVO is one of the funniest Cirque shows on the circuit. Van Grunsven has been with the show from its 2009 debut and says she still laughs every time she sees it.

She says some of the show’s most memorable scenes include the flying act, and tight wire and wall acts.

Cirque du Soleil’s OVO will be at the United Center from June 29 through July 31. Tickets range from $42 to $230, and family packages are available.

For more information visit Cirque de Soleil’s site.

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