Leave it to Cirque du Soleil to take 1.5 million gallons of water and turn it into an aquatic spectacle unlike anything we’ve seen on the Las Vegas Strip.
Considered one of the best Cirque shows currently in production, O has been raining down magic for the past 25 years. The water-themed production debuted at the Bellagio in 1998 as the second resident Cirque show in Las Vegas after Mystère. It’s surpassed more than 11,000 performances since then, selling 19.1 million tickets to date.
Earlier this month, the Clark County Commission honored O in commemoration of its impact. And on October 15, acrobats, aerialists, divers and dancers pronounced themselves with a lively procession that packed the Bellagio ahead of its 25th anniversary performance.
Time historically weathers productions as old as O, but age has no bearing on this show’s elegance nor beauty. O’s world-building supplants anything the conscious mind could cook up. It’s a production that revels in a dream state, a place where swimmers splash in synchronicity, torch bearers play with fire, and sirens of the shallow sea beckon you closer.
O’s pool stage is also a work of technical wizardry, receding and filling at all the right moments as a cast of 77 performers make daring leaps, lingering afterward in the background like a breathing canvas of art. Mystical characters like the Zebras and the carousel horse riders remain a fixture of the show, as do the small but mighty Mongolian contortionists who can pretzel their way out of any situation. O celebrates the athleticism, the grace and the charisma of each of these characters, all while telling a great story that’s stood the test of time.
