My sister-in-law and I were privileged to have VIP Rendezvous seats, for the August 8th show, of Odysseo, in Edmonton. Created in the likes of Cirque de Soleil, Odysseo combines the beauty of horses with the showmanship of horse riders, acrobatics, Imax screens and theatrics.
The show takes place inside a 125 foot high White Big Top tent, and incorporates more than 60 horses. The horses are the heart and soul of the show and Cavalia is committed to their health and well-being. The training method they use is designed to make sure the horses enjoy the training and performing on stage. Isn’t that wonderful!
When we arrived, we went into the VIP Rendez-Vous area, which was also in a large white tent. It was magical inside, the tables were covered in white table cloths and there was soft blue lighting everywhere. There was a store for souvenirs, an appetizer table, a bar and an art show. When the show was about to begin they served popcorn at the door.
We were blown away as soon as we entered the 400,000 square foot big top and saw the beautiful stage they created in front of us. The backdrop is a state of the art video screen the size of three IMAX movie screens. The music for the show was performed live and the musicians and singers adapted the music as they needed, to what was happening in the show.
The magic started as soon as the curtains of trees opened, the mist entered the room and the horses first rode onto the field in front of us. It is a unique experience watching beautiful horses, galloping free, in front of you, as if they were in the wild.
The highlight of the show, for me, was when the acrobats were hanging from white silks in the air, and then riders on horseback below them took a hold of their silks to spin them around faster in a circle, and make beautiful patterns with the silks in the air. It was breathtaking. I love watching acrobatics and adding the horses to the show took the experience one step further.
Odysseo is the second show created by Cavalia Productions, a company created through the vision of Normand Latourelle, his partner Dominique and their family. The show plays next in Denver, Colorado. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this show to everyone. Small children might become bored, however, older children will be mesmerized by the horses and acrobatics.
Disclaimer: I was given tickets for a performance of Odysseo, in order to complete this review. All opinions in this article are my own.
Looks amazing! I love that colour palette. It give the whole thing such an enchanted feel.