The reviews are in for Cirque du Soleil’s “Ovo”

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Image courtesy Cirque du Soleil

The circus has come to town again, and this time it comes bearing not elephants and tigers, but ladybugs, spiders and ants.

Ovo, Cirque du Soleil's latest creation, explores the world of insects, including their social habits, love lives, and of course, amazing acrobatic skills.

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All three reviews I found for Ovo were generally positive, but some had their quibbles. And when tickets can run anywhere from $31.50 to $350, well, quibbles can sometimes be deal-breakers.

Read on for excerpts of reviews - click on the links to read them in their entirety.

From Rohan Preston at the Star Tribune:

Of the many shows that Cirque du Soleil has brought to the Twin Cities over the past decade, including the dark "Dralion" and cute "Kooza," their latest offering is by far the most creative.

"Ovo," which opened Thursday in a giant striped tent across from the Mall of America, has acts that showcase feats of strength and daring -- acrobats on trampoline, trapeze and high wire who appear impervious to danger -- similar to ones we've seen before.

But the creative team behind this show has invested it with much more imagination and invention this time around. The trampoline act near the end has gymnastic acrobats bouncing high off walls. A performer might drop say, 30 feet, on his back, then bounce way up in the same position, each time taking steps on the rock-climbing wall. (The creators of Broadway's problem-plagued, budget-busting "Spider-man" could take a note from this segment, which is no doubt copyrighted, but which seems simple and communicates very effectively.)

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Image courtesy Cirque du Soleil

From Dominic P. Papatola:

...Compared to some of the previous Cirque shows that have come to the Twin Cities, "Ovo" is lighter in tone (no melancholy clowns or tender moments here) and - at two hours and 40 minutes - can feel a little draggy, especially after intermission.

Though the finale - a company of crickets bouncing on trampolines and climbing walls - is propulsive, it feels its length and doesn't really end the show with the kind of exclamation point one expects from Cirque shows. In these small ways, "Ovo" doesn't measure up to the best of Cirque du Soleil. Despite not clearing that very high bar, "Ovo" is still a very entertaining evening.

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Image courtesy Cirque du Soleil

From Ed Huyck at City Pages:

Cirque music comes from a world all its own, or perhaps from a deep, previously unheard pit of Hell. Loud and aimless, it is mainly there to provide a backdrop for all of the action onstage, but the anonymous New-Age-like sounds really grate on the soul after a while. The volume doesn't help. I'm a 30-year veteran of rock, metal, and punk concerts, and my ears were starting to hurt by the end of the show. Of course, it did help to drown out the noise of the flights arriving and taking off from the nearby airport.

​I don't want to harp on the music, but of all the Cirque shows I've sat through over the years, the only one that made any kind of aural impression was Love, which had the advantage of using the catalog of one of the great rock and pop acts of the 20th century. I'm not asking for music of the Beatles' level, but at least some tune I could take home with me, beyond aimless singing and pounding drums? Please?

Been to see Ovo already? Share your own review in the comments section.