With Cirque du Soleil in Town, Covelli Becomes a Beehive of Activity

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – In its “OVO” show, Cirque du Soleil takes a bug’s-eye view of the world of insects.

But with fantastical costumes, live music and a cast of acrobatic and offbeat characters, the show becomes larger than life.

After undergoing a revamp during the pandemic, “OVO” makes its return to Covelli Centre this weekend, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday, 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The original show last appeared at Covelli in 2018.

Anyone who’s ever seen a Cirque shows has an idea of what to expect. Spectators will be swept up in the wonderment with dazzling visuals and a wildly talented bunch of circus performers from dozens of countries.

Cirque du Soleil shows are always more about the journey than the destination, and the plot is a nebulous thing. But for the record, “OVO” – which means “egg” in Portuguese – revolves around a group of crickets, a ladybug, a fly and the chief insect, dubbed Master Flipo, as they become attuned to the marvel of life.

The 25th Cirque production to tour the world, it premiered in Montreal in 2009 and visited more than 30 cities in six countries before transforming from big-top show to touring arena act in 2016. “OVO” celebrated its 3,500th show in May 2023 in Sweden.

The show has no spoken lines or narration, instead communicating through movement, expression and the occasional line of “bug” language – gibberish-like sounds that get the message across.

As it opens, a giant egg appears on stage, 28 feet in height. The insects are curious about the object, which represents the cycles of their lives.

The show also uses a 30-foot scenery projection wall that serves as the backdrop and is also used for acrobatics. Seating is in the round.

The Travel Team

While the show on stage is awe-inspiring, seeing the work that goes into the tour is eye opening.

It takes a convoy of two dozen trucks to move the show. The cast of about 50 is supplemented by another 50 crew members, including seamstresses, porters, caterers, front office personnel, six musicians, a singer and others.

Janie Mallet, publicist and tour manager, led media members on a backstage tour Tuesday, giving them a behind the scenes glimpse.

Mallet refers to the cast, the rigging, costumes and other aspects of the show as “the OVO ecosystem.”

The insect analogy is an apt one.

Putting “OVO” on the road turns each stop into a beehive of activity.

The tour arrived at Covelli this week after a two-year tour of Europe and the Middle East that was followed by five weeks of downtime.

Youngstown is the first stop on the North American leg. After the four shows at Covelli, the tour will head to Norfolk, Va.; Newark, N.J.; and more than a dozen other cities.

Being the first city after the break gave the crew some extra time to engage with the Youngstown community. Some of the cast will do a special event for local children Thursday at Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Even on days when there is no show, it’s hardly a day off.

The entire company stayed busy at Covelli on Tuesday, practicing, stretching and making sure everything is ready.

A team of four seamstresses took over the Youngstown Phantoms locker room, where they assembled and repaired costumes.

“Costumes are one of the things that sets Cirque du Soleil apart,” Mallet said. “They’re inspired by insects but also are made to do what must be done in the show.”

Each colorful costume is tailored to each cast member and the movements they will make.

Cast Members

Catherine Audy, a native of Quebec City, Canada, has been with Cirque for at least a decade. An aerialist who dangles from straps, she plays a butterfly in the show.

Audy learned her skills at The Circus School, which is located in her hometown. She and her partner in their duet act have been with Cirque du Soleil for at least a decade.

“OVO” is her third Cirque production. It’s also one of her favorites because she grew along with the show from its origins as a big top act to a touring arena production.

“We created this act from scratch,” Audy said, including the costumes.

The show appeals to all ages, she pointed out.

“It’s a high-quality company, a high-acrobatic show that is very colorful, with costumes, music and funny clowns.”

Audy and her aerial partner work 30 feet above the stage, suspended in the air. But they have to rely on the stage managers to pull off each performance.

“They know our act by heart,” she said. “We are a duo, but we work with them as a trio.”

The emotion they generate through their performance – be it fear, mirth or sorrow – transfers to the audience, who in turn reflects it back to the stage.

Between her aerial act and the troupe’s international flavor, Audy said she truly loves her job.

“I’m not sure everyone enjoys their job like I do, flying around every night,” she said.

Also flitting around backstage was Ramarni Levena, who plays a cricket in “OVO.” Prior to joining the Cirque troupe, the gymnast was a tumbler who represented his country, Great Britain, in several world and European championship tournaments.

Joining Cirque du Soleil was always his goal. As soon as he was old enough, he auditioned and was accepted.

“Cirque is a big thing for British gymnasts,” he said. “It’s hard to win medals [in international gymnastic competitions], but harder still to become a member of Cirque du Soleil.”

As a cricket in the show, Levena must mimic the motions of the insect but in a way that conveys the bug’s personality.

His goal is to bring every spectator into the bug’s world.

“We want to make people feel like they’re also bugs,” he said.

“OVO” is very interesting, he said, with never a dull moment.

“There is always a lot going on and always something to look at,” Levena said. “You’ll see what a bug would do day to day.”

His arrival in Youngstown this week marked his first trip to the United States. Levena said he enjoys seeing the culture of many nations and is looking forward to sampling American food.

Tickets for the Covelli Centre performances of “OVO” range from $127 to $52 and are available at ticketmaster.com and the Covelli box office.

Pictured at top: Cast member Catherine Audy, a native of Quebec City, Canada, stands outside Covelli Centre on Tuesday. She is an aerialist who plays a butterfly in the show.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.