Cavalia's Odysseo, until Jan. 26 under the
White Big Top at Olympic Village in Vancouver.
Tickets: $29.50 to $209.50 available at cavalia.net or by calling 1-800-999-8111.
It would be easy for those watching Odysseo to forget their whereabouts.
The grandiose performance opens in an enchanted wood and, over the course of two hours, follows horses and humans on an expedition of discovery through the Mongolian steppes, Monument Valley, the African savanna, Nordic glaciers, Easter Island and the Sahara Desert.
In this second production from Montreal-based equestrian and performing arts company Cavalia, much like the first, all the action takes place inside a tent which is now set up at Olympic Village in Vancouver. Known as the White Big Top, the structure houses a stage the size of a hockey rink and, at 38 metres tall, is an imposing, albeit temporary, part of the city skyline.
"Odysseo is the biggest touring show in the world," says artistic director and Cavalia founder Normand Latourelle, also a co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, who explains he didn't dream up his latest equestrian ballet overnight.
"It took me about eight years from the first show of Cavalia to the first show of Odysseo, so I took my time to try to reinvent what a show with horses could be and also what a performing arts show could be, and that's what I like to do, I like to change the rules."
Whereas the first Cavalia production celebrated the bond between man and horse, Odysseo takes that relationship a step further.
"It's a journey," Latourelle says, explaining the title of the show comes from the word odyssey.
"Human and horse together go to discover the most beautiful landscapes in the world."
Those vistas are brought to life with the help of state-of-the-art theatre effects, including a highdefinition stage backdrop the size of three IMAX screens onto which scenic images are projected. The multimedia illusions work to complement the set's real-life rocks and dirt.
"I wanted to bring nature to the stage," says Latourelle, "so when you enter the tent in Odysseo, you feel you're in the middle of the forest. And then the forest clears and then you see a mountain, and the mountain is about 13 metres high."
In fact, the set features two mountains sculpted from 10,000 tons of stones, dirt and sand then covered with 1,500 square metres of specialized carpet.
Odysseo is about twice the size of the original Cavalia show, which stopped in Vancouver in 2011. The stage is larger and the show features a bigger cast including 67 male horses representing 11 breeds from around the world and 48 human performers - acrobats, aerialists, riders, dancers and musicians - from 13 countries.
All set to music, Odysseo is almost dreamlike at times, Latourelle says. In one scene a full-sized merry-go-round, hidden 80 feet above the stage, appears in the air and serves as apparatus for acrobats to showcase their agility. In another visually impressive feat a portion of the stage rapidly fills with 320,000 litres of water creating a playground for unbridled horses.
The colossal scale of the production means it is no small task to tour from one city to another.
"The logistics are very sophisticated," Latourelle says.
There is usually a 16-day gap between closing night in one city and opening night in another, giving an 80-person crew time to dismantle and reassemble the set. Before arriving in Vancouver, Odysseo was in Washington, D.C., so an extra four days were needed to accommodate travel time. The horses arrived on a chartered Boeing 747 to avoid the 50-hour road trip while the bulk of the equipment was transported by 110 semi-trucks.
In addition to the big top, the Odysseo "village" includes four more tents which house horse stables, a rehearsal arena, VIP events and an employee cafeteria where 600 meals are served daily. But despite the enormity of the production, the theatre has the same 2,000-person capacity as the first Cavalia show, retaining a sense of intimacy.
Latourelle worked with Cirque du Soleil until 1990 and conceived the idea for Cavalia shortly after while working on a performance inspired by French Canadian history. As part of that show Latourelle had to create a village on stage and in that village were a few animals, including a live horse. Though just an extra, the animal garnered more audience attention than Latourelle could ever have imagined.
"The people were not looking at the 120 performers, they were looking at the bare horse just crossing the stage," he recalls. Latourelle jokes that, at that time, he knew little more about horses than he did about cows. But he was so taken by the beauty and strength of the four-legged creatures he knew he had to continue working with them.
So, he began connecting with riders of all equestrian styles, from show jumping to stunt riding to rodeo to dressage.
"I kind of integrated all of these worlds in one world," he explains.
Pair the equestrian arts with acrobats, musicians and high-tech effects and Latourelle has created with Odysseo what he describes as "a poem for the ears and the eyes."
"You don't need to be a horse person to enjoy the show, it's addressed to everyone," he says, "but if you are a horse person you won't believe what's going on. We do things that nobody does."
UNDER THE BIG TOP
The Odysseo White Big Top, at 38 metres tall, is more than twice as big as the structure created for Cavalia's original production. The newest incarnation was designed in collaboration with the consultants at the Italian firm Canobbio, who also oversaw the construction.
Asteo in France and Genivar in Canada supervised engineering operations. The arches that support the massive structure were built by Show Canada. For more information and to watch a time-lapse of the raising of the White Big Top go to cavalia.
net/en/odysseo.
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