In early September, Paycom Center will be crawling with dozens of insects — everything from scarabs and dragonflies to spiders and crickets — all for your entertainment. Cirque du Soleil’s insect-themed OVO is chockablock with mind-bending contortionists and gravity-defying acrobats flying through jaw-dropping set pieces as a live band provides the energetic score. Created 15 years ago, the famous show has been completely reimagined with an all-new set design, acrobatic acts, original characters, reimagined costumes and reinvented music.
The funny, chaotic show is meant to charm the inner child and tickle the imagination. OVO exudes extraordinary showmanship, from crickets bounding off trampolines to a hypnotic spider contorting inside her web and high-level acrobatic acts that redefine the limits of the human body. 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.
OVO, or “egg” in Portuguese, first premiered in 2009. Brazilian choreographer Deborah Colker created the show, which explores the world of insects and themes of biodiversity, the origins of life and the life cycles of insects, as well as joy and curiosity. She immersed herself in entomological studies; she and her team researched spiders, beetles, caterpillars, ants and butterflies to understand their movements, colors and habitats, then crafted the set to reflect the scale of the insects’ environments.
The colorful colony moves to a score by Brazilian composer Berna Ceppas, which incorporates elements of Brazilian music and culture to help create the vibrant experience. Ceppas infuses the hum of the insects with bossa nova and samba rhythms, plus snatches of funk and electro. The tempo of the music helps set the tone for the audience, shifting from fun, wild moments to more emotional and reflective sections.
Audience interaction and an exchange of energy are vital to the live performance experience, and performers adapt their style based on audience response, enhancing the uniqueness of each performance. The remarkable, one-of-a-kind production is designed to be family-friendly, accessible and universally engaging.
Since it open in Montreal in 2009, OVO has thrilled more than 7 million people in 40 different countries. The different languages of those 40 countries are no problem for OVO. To nurture an experience that is accessible and inclusive, the show features minimal narration and often relies on an invented “bug language” while also integrating words from each country visited to enhance cultural richness. OVO emphasizes community and unity, especially as it relates to the performers. Despite the show’s technical choreography, there is room for real-time adjustments and adaptation, allowing space for improvisation. That improvisation allows the cast to adjust the show according to the audience and their reactions.
During the NBA Finals run in Oklahoma City, Cirque’s local public relations team reached out to me with a unique opportunity: the chance to sit down with Kyle Cragle, in town to perform during the opening of Game Five against the Indiana Pacers. A hand balancer, Cragle previously performed in OVO from 2016 to 2017 and is touring with the show again. We talked about the opportunity to perform in front of such an electric crowd and how that relates to the upcoming run of OVO in the same arena in September.
“The night we did the performance at the Thunder game, I just got so excited to come back here and experience this community from the stage,” Cragle said. “I did the performance before the game, and then we sat down in our seats, and I just looked around and took it all in. I was just like, ‘Wow! This community is so supportive and so together,’ and it just made me so excited about coming back on the tour to this same city, where some of those same people will come together in the same place for a totally different type of experience. I was texting some of the guys back on tour, sending them videos — they have the nickname Loud City for a reason. I was telling them, ‘Just wait until you get here.’
“Audiences are different everywhere, and I think it’s going to be really exciting to come back with this really uplifting show full of Brazilian music and bright colors. It’s just very joyful, and it’s going to be such a good match with this city that has such a friendly vibe. The show also has a message of unity and coming together, and it is very accessible with this universal language,” Cragle continued. “I think the interaction with the crowd will be so fun here. People definitely have audible reactions to the show, and there is a lot of laughter and surprised sounds, and obviously kids have a big response. So it’s not like a Thunder game, obviously, but I do think we’ll be able to feel that same energy from these audiences. There is a dynamic energy exchange, and if the audience reacts in a certain way and you respond in kind, then everyone is a part of creating this experience together.”
This is Cirque’s most kid-friendly production, and Cragle noted that the kids get really into it.
“They don’t have to suspend reality as much as adults, so they can really slip into the story. And for me, it’s almost existential. This life is really crazy, and we’re traveling all the time. And on stage, things happen so fast and you’re making adjustments in the moment. And there is just so much beauty in having these moments where you catch a kid’s big laugh or just a look of sheer delight, and you realize it’s 1 p.m. on a Sunday and you just got to be a part of someone’s core memory.”
It’s worth noting what a different city Cirque will return to when the show’s 20 semi trucks roll back into the 405. When the troupe was last here, the arena did not yet glow green with Paycom’s logo, and nearby Scissortail Park was still under construction. Many of the districts near downtown were not nearly what they are today. In the years since the cast of OVO last leapt through the air inside the arena, the topography of the city has changed. Our collective appetite for world-class entertainment is insatiable, and productions of this level are more in demand than ever.
That the show promotes inclusion, friendship and collaboration across species is fitting. The cast and crew of OVO are made up of 100 people who represent 25 nationalities and speak 18 different languages. Cirque du Soleil is a deeply diverse organization; the Canadian company now employs more than 4,000 people, including 1,200 artists from 80 different nationalities.
Last year, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group celebrated 40 years of defying reality, defining entertainment and illuminating the world through art and creativity. Since its creation in 1984, more than 400 million people have been inspired on six continents and in 86 countries.
OVO will be presented at Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., Sept.11-14. Tickets are $43-$193. Visit paycomcenter.com.
Related events
Cirque du Soleil: OVO
Thu., Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Fri., Sept. 12, 7 p.m., Sat., Sept. 13, 3 & 7 p.m. and Sun., Sept. 14, 1 p.m.
Location: Paycom Center, 100 W. Reno Ave., Oklahoma City
This article appears in Best of OKC 2025.