Cirque Du Soleil's OVO Comes To San Francisco 11/27 And San Jose 2/4

Cirque du Soleil will hold the U.S. premiere of its latest big top touring production Ovo in San Francisco on Friday, November 27, 2009 and on Thursday, February 4, 2010 in San Jose. Proudly presented by iShares, Ovo will perform for a limited engagement under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at the AT&T Park in San Francisco (corner of Third St. and Terry A. Francois Blvd) and at the Taylor Street Bridge in San Jose (corner of Taylor Street & Highway 87).

The name Ovo means "egg" in Portuguese. This timeless symbol of the life cycle and birth of numerous insects represents the underlying thread of the show. Graphically, Ovo hides an insect in its name: The two letter "Os" represent the eyes while the letter "V" forms the nose.

Ovo is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects' home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives.

It's love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye - and the feeling is mutual.

Ovo is overflowing with contrasts. The hidden, secret world at our feet is revealed as tender and torrid, noisy and quiet, peaceful and chaotic. And as the sun rises on a bright new day the vibrant cycle of insect life begins anew.

The cast of Ovo comprises 54 performing artists from 13 countries and director Deborah Colker, a renowned choreographer, has integrated dance movements into many of the numbers in the show. Deborah Colker is the first female Director at Cirque du Soleil.

Ovo features many acrobatic acts including a stunning flying trapeze act: Six flyers fly as high as 14m, making this act the biggest of its kind ever presented under a Grand Chapiteau by Cirque du Soleil. This act is the most difficult in the world to execute in terms of the distance between stations. It combines many circus disciplines: banquine, Russian swing and swinging chair. The finale features 20 artists running; jumping and leaping straight up an 8m vertical wall.

Most of Ovo's 10 creators are working in that capacity for the first time at Cirque du Soleil:
Guy Laliberté / Artistic Guide
Gilles Ste-Croix / Artistic Guide
Deborah Colker / Writer, Director and Choreographer
Chantal Tremblay / Director of Creation
Gringo Cardia / Set and props Designer
Liz Vandal / Costume Designer
Berna Ceppas / Composer and Musical Director
Éric Champoux / Lighting Designer
Jonathan Deans / Sound Designer
Fred Gérard / Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging Designer
Philippe Aubertin / Acrobatic Performance Designer
Julie Bégin / Makeup Designer

iShares® is the presenting sponsor of the 2009 U.S. tour of Ovo. CGI, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and American Express are the official sponsors.

Cirque du Soleil is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009. From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has more than 4,000 employees from over 40 different countries, including 1,000 performing artists.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to almost 90 million spectators in over 200 cities on five continents. In 2009, Cirque du Soleil will present 20 shows simultaneously throughout the world. The company has received such prestigious awards as the Emmy, Drama Desk, Bambi, ACE, Gémeaux, Félix and the Rose d'Or de Montreux. Cirque du Soleil's International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
To find out more about the One Drop Foundation, visit www.onedrop.org.

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