CAVALIA RETURNS TO L.A. WITH AN ALL-NEW SHOW
“If Walt Disney
were still alive, he might create a show as magical as Cavalia’s new Odysseo,” proclaimed the Miami Herald last year. Can a show be that good? Audiences in Canada, Mexico and across the United States think so. Now Southern Californians can find out for themselves when Cavalia’s Odysseo makes its Los Angeles debut on Feb. 27. The $30 million spectacular is a voyage with horse and man to the world’s most beautiful locations. Sixty-seven horses representing 11 breeds along with 44 riders, acrobats and a live band lead the audience to the African savanna and dessert, the Northern Lights, the American Southwest, rolling hills and lush forests. A high-definition video backdrop equal to three IMAX screens allows the audience to feel a part of the action. At one point the stage begins to flood before the audience’s eyes. Cries of disbelief are heard as 80,000 gallons of water create a lake at the base of a waterfall in less than three minutes. When nine Arabians gallop through the lake, a collective gasp is heard. Ultimately, the entire human and equine cast splash together in a stunning visual and emotional crescendo. The show focuses on the elemental wonder of what man and beast can do. Indeed, together man and horse conquered the world, built civilizations and ushered in our modern age. Performed under a football field-sized White Big Top, the world’s largest, Odysseo presents the glamour and technology of any permanent theatre found in Las Vegas, London or New York. Created by Normand Latourelle, one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil, Odysseo is the realization of nearly a decade of work. Following the instant success of the first Cavalia show in 2003, Latourelle began to dream of how to break through the limitations of a big top tent. The biggest challenge was to open up the performance area to showcase more horses and acrobatic scenes. This involved removing supporting masts from the stage, a common staging issue in tent shows. A specially designed big top was created in Europe where the weight of the structure shifted from masts to two arches above the tent. The engineering facilitated the
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installation of an 80-ton technical grid that supports a real-life carousel, lighting and set pieces. The grid is bigger than most found in the world’s largest theatres. Now the 15,000-squarefoot stage, the size of a hockey rink, was open enough to present more than 30 cantering horses at a time. “Odysseo goes beyond the relationship of horse and man to show how the two explored the world together,” said Latourelle. “To tell that story, we found technology and the ultimate stage craftsmanship to go beyond anything seen on a touring show.” Beginning in a misty, enchanted forest where a herd of horses graze and frolic under a sky of rolling clouds and a setting sun, the horses, artists and audience embark on a soulful journey together. Eye-popping acrobatic displays integrated with dazzling equestrian numbers featuring jumping, dressage and stunt riding comprise the two-and-a half-hour performance. In “Fête de Village (Village Party),” horses, acrobats and urban stilters take part in a friendly and joyous obstacle-jumping competition. Horses power angelic aerialists in “Vol (Flight),” a four-person silks act that takes the viewer into the skies. An accontinued on page 14 robatic team from Guinea, West
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