Cirque du Soleil: Ovo

Cirque du Soleil's worldwide success has fed its dilemma of needing to invent something original with each successive touring show while adhering to its lucrative formula. Ovo distinguishes itself from the last handful of shows, much to the credit of Brazilian director and choreographer Deborah Colker and the concept, in her words, of "creating a world of insects with the emphasis on constant movement and color." Shows in the past have had vague thematic elements that were hastily abandoned when the circus power acts rolled out, but not in this case. Colker and the creative crew have gone to great lengths to bring to life the festive and miniature world as seen by insects. Each act is performed by different bug families — spiders, fire ants, grasshoppers, and even a dragonfly doing an acrobatic dance on a blade of grass. Gringo Cardia's set evokes forests, caves, webs, nests, and beautifully blooming giant flowers, all in which the insects work, eat, flutter, play, and fight. The clowns are a little lackluster in this edition, but the acts are better than ever — upside-down slackwire unicycling, a jaw-dropping display of foot juggling, and a unique rock climbing/trampoline act.