I am in my 40s, and somehow, I’ve never been to a Cirque du Soleil before. I decided it was time to experience Cirque du Soleil in Saskatoon. I surprised my son and took him to OVO. He had no idea what to expect until the show started. I had no idea what to expect until the show started. In the next two hours, I would watch and gasp in awe along with my son. Every video I took had my son talking or making shocked noises. There was so much to see and so much to watch. We loved it.
Photo by Erin McCrea. My son (and his cat).
What is OVO, you ask? Well, the name itself means “egg”’ in Portuguese. Cirque du Soleil OVO brings the audience into the hidden universe of amazing insects. It’s an ecosystem where you can watch insects working, courting, fighting, working, crawling and more. The stage is alive with excitement and wonder.
Photo by Erin McCrea.
The show started off with a bang. We could not take our eyes off the stage. My son talked the entire time. “Did you see that?” “Wow!” “Look at that!” “I want to do that!” “Can I do that when I grow up?” He narrated as the show continued. He made sure I saw everything and I did the same for him. It’s really a show you could see over and over and always catch something new.
Photo by Erin McCrea.
The show was about an hour before we had a 20-minute intermission. I was sad about the break but at the same time, I bet a lot of little people (including my son) needed to get up and move around. I probably could have continued watching all the way through because it was all such fun to watch. This gave us a chance to get up and people watch before returning to our seats. I haven’t been to many events at the Sasktel Centre in a few years for obvious reasons. I enjoyed getting back out with people. There was one more hour after intermission.
Photo by Erin McCrea.
I honestly felt a little inferior watching the great acts. In a good way. I just wondered why I couldn’t swing from a rope while holding somebody up. I now want to send myself and my son to school so we can learn how to do amazing things like this. Unfortunately, my lack of balance and impatience may not help. There’s still hope for my son though.
Photo by Erin McCrea. Audience Participation.
At one point, they called somebody out from the audience. My son thought this was hilarious. He was sure they’d pick me as well but I was not in the correct spot. The thing my son liked best about this moment was that they “made the grown-ups have fun!” I’m pretty sure every grown-up was loving the show but he loved that they were included. The other part I enjoyed was watching them change the scenery while we were distracted by audience participation or watching the courting or fighting scenes. They prepared for the next acts while we were engaged with the storyline. I loved watching what they were putting out and guessing what would come next.
Photo by Erin McCrea.
The last performance included trampolines and we were on the edge of our seats and amazed the entire time. It was probably our favourite part. That’s saying a lot because every performance was our favourite. After this last one, they came up and waved and took a bow. I teared up because I ALWAYS tear up at the end of a performance (music, theatre or Cirque du Soleil!) I’m just so proud of them and grateful that they do this job to make other people happy.
Photo of Erin McCrea and her date.
How did we feel at the end of our show? Personally, I decided that I’m going to every single Cirque du Soleil that comes to Saskatoon. I fell in love with it and can’t wait to see more. My son loved it but was mad that he didn’t get any cotton candy. He wasn’t willing to admit how much he loved it but it was obvious during the show. Cirque du Soleil can take all my money when they come to town. I will watch them all and forever be impressed.
