O YS0 DSE
:A THEATRICAL JOURNEY OF HORSES AND HUMANS THROUGH NATURE By Patti Schofler
In Cavalia Inc.’s new mega-production, Odysseo, 70 horses and 50 artists lead the viewer on a great journey where, together, they discover some of the planet’s most unforgettable landscapes. Culminating in a horse s at liberty galloping through an onstage lake, the show marries the equestrian arts, stage arts and high-tech theatrical effects at never-before-seen levels.
A story of superlatives – the most beautiful, most
talented, and simply the greatest number of horses you’ve ever seen on stage, this is Odysseo, brought to the stage by the creator of the innovative equestrian spectacular Cavalia. Odysseo moves touring theater beyond what was once
thought of as its limits. In this show, which made its U.S. debut in Atlanta, GA last month, Normand Latourelle’s introduction of this innovative theater production rings a similar tone to Steve Jobs’ introduction of the iPhone. Both Latourelle and Jobs had a vision which reached beyond the everyday, into dimensions never tried before. Neither would accept that their vision could not become reality.
“From Cavalia, I wanted to go a step forward and push
the limits,” explains Latourelle, founder and artistic director of Odysseo and Cavalia as well as co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. “This is a feast for the eyes and the ears. I’ve made no concessions on how far we have to go to create the most amazing traveling theater in the world. “My dream was for a stage setting in which the audience
felt like the horses were galloping in nature, through big fields, over a mountain or through a lake. I wanted a traveling show that looked like a permanent show you would find in Las Vegas.” In this traveling theater, the horses are the stars more
than ever. Odysseo features 40 horses at a time performing on a stage that, at 27,000 square feet, is the largest touring stage in the world, 2 ¼ times bigger than that for the original Cavalia show. The world’s largest touring big top, the Odysseo tent is engineered so that no supporting structure or metal post obstructs the audience’s view of the multi-dimensional stage.
Onstage 71 horses, of which 26 are stallions, plus 50 acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and riders, tell through original music and choreography the story of what the two species have accomplished together – traveled across the globe – as the audience follows them on an odyssey through nature.
16.
In an enchanted three-dimensional forest, soon covered by a canopy of moving clouds, a blue mist rises from the earth. A herd of horses appears grazing and enjoying the setting sun. Suddenly, the flat surface of the stage begins to curve and undulate, growing into rolling hills from a distant desert as horses appear, searching for an oasis. Through stunning natural landscape settings
complemented by creative technology, the audience discovers the staged space in layers, through curtains and projections. “You have the impression that the mountain is not real, until you see, oh my God, there are real horses going over the mountain,” explains Latourelle. “There is so much depth that you feel like you’re on the Mongolian steppes, on Easter Island, in the Sahara, in Monument Valley, viewing the most amazing landscapes in the world.”
To the stars – the horses – the stage is a playground.
“Every horse is a star in the show. Which horse you’ll like depends on your particular taste. One horse has a mane that practically touches the ground. Other spectators have fallen in love with our Appaloosa, Chocolate Chip,” adds Latourelle. And every performance is different, depending on the
horses’ moods that day. Pictured, for example, is one of the last scenes of the show. A herd of Arabians gallops though the onstage, 80,000-gallon lake. With no one mounted on them, they just run and run, joyfully, until they decide they have had enough. It could last 30 seconds or two minutes. “Its simple, but you let the horse be a horse and that in
itself is the magic,” says Latourelle. !nd part of this magic is the sheer beauty of the show. “I
know this is my show, but I am not just saying this,” tells Normand. “There is not one place on stage that is not beautiful and peaceful and dreamy. Alice in Wonderland, but with horses and acrobats –with life. It is like Avatar with no fighting!” For information on performances of Odysseo in Miami,
visit
www.cavalia.net or call 1-866-999-8111. Follow Cavalia at
www.twitter.com/cavalia or
www.facebook.com/cavalia.
410-804-5813
info@flride.com www.flride.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40