JOHN COFFELTEditor

Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil, will return to Chattanooga with an updated show, “OVO,” in October at the McKenzie arena.

With its newly revisited high-energy and high-acrobatic production, “OVO” is more than a show, is a Cirque du Soleil experience.

Cirque Spokesperson and touring publicist Janie Mallet explained that “ovo” is Portuguese for “egg.”

“It’s a bit of everything — we have the high-level acrobats,” Mallet said. “On ‘OVO’ we have two Olympians, World Cup Champions, but we also have choreographies, we have live music, a seven piece band, beautiful handmade custom-fit costumes, clowns – there’s just like a little bit of everything.”

“OVO” is not a show that is made for youth, but it is a family-friendly one that children will relate to.

“OVO” is a colorful intrusion into a new day in the life of insects, a non-stop riot of energy and movement. Through show-stopping acrobatics highlighting selected insect species’ unique personalities and abilities, OVO explores the beauty of biodiversity in all its contrast

Fifty-two performers tell the story using Cirque’s unique language of dance, gymnastics, acrobatics, music and color.

Each costume is handmade for the individual performer using a full 3-D scan of his or her body. Costumes

Mallet said that this is the 40th anniversary of Cirque.

“It’s quite a big year,” she said. “Forty years ago it started with a small group of street performers kind looking to reinvent the circus. It became over the last 40 years one of the largest employers of artist and the leader of live entertainment around the world.”

Cirque rolls into each town with a caravan of artist, craftspeople and . The logistics of getting 20 semi-trucks loaded with gear, costumes, dressing rooms and stages is a performance behind the performance that the guests never see.

“When we arrive in Chattanooga, we arrive with everything we need to put on the show, including the stage itself, the grid technical equipment, the lighting fixtures the sound, the video projections,” Mallet said.

Cirque also hauls in a full-sized gym, laundry services and a full catering team for the 100 people who travel with the show-full time.

“We have other teams who work remote with the Montreal headquarters… that work in advance with the arena, making sure where everything will go,” Mallet said.

Once in town, Cirque will hire 100 local stagehands to aid technicians unload the truck, build the stage and even help with the 60 loads of laundry before the premier.

“OVO” is an arena show rather than some of the other Cirque big-top shows and can travel at a faster pace.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.