Cirque du Soleil returns to OKC with 'Ovo' at Paycom Center

Cirque du Soleil is fluttering back into Oklahoma City this fall, bringing its high-flying spectacle Ovo to the Paycom Center from September 11–14. The Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch caught up with Cirque publicist Janie Mallet and featured performer Kyle Cragle, who performed as a pregame act for Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals, to get a behind-the-scenes look at what fans can expect from the show.

Q: How was it at the Thunder game last night?

Mallet: "It was incredible. We've heard that it was Loud City, that was the nickname here. It was loud, but we were fortunate enough to be part of the pre-game and the hype, and it was really amazing to be there with the whole Oklahoma City community."

Q: How excited are you to be back in Oklahoma with this show?

Mallet: "Very excited. So we were here almost 10 years ago, and we're coming back with you know, Kyle, but also 53 acrobats. We have World Cup champions. We have Olympians. So a whole cast and crew of a hundred people coming back in September and coming back with a show that's also been reimagined. We have a new stage, new acts, new music, and new costumes. So lots of new things. If you have, if you happen to have seen the show 10 years ago."

Q: Can you tell us what the show is about?

Cragle: "So the show is all about insects. Basically, our through line will take you through a fun story. It has a lot of different emotions. We have eccentric characters, and of course, you get to see all these beautiful costumes that are inspired by our little microscopic insect community. Of course, we have the jaw-dropping acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil that are a huge element that kind of ties the entire thing together. So you'll get to see dragonflies, spiders. They're not scary. Butterflies, cockroaches even. And we're all just a part of you know, the things that come together to create this amazing live performance. Musicians, acrobats, all of the like."

Q: Kyle, what is your role in the show?

Cragle: "So it's called hand balancing. I'm also a contortionist. In the show, I actually am on a prop that resembles a plant. So there's an entire tableau behind the life of a dragonfly towards the top of the show. But the skills that I'm able to demonstrate here are the exact same that you'll see on the show."

Q: When is Ovo coming to Oklahoma City?

Mallet: "We'll be here September 11th through the 14th, and, you know, that's one very small sneak peek of what you can see. We have group acts in the air. We have aerial acts, tumblers, and trampolinists. We have three clowns. There's something for everybody in the family with our live musicians. Just a beautiful, colorful, uplifting show. That's OVO by Cirque du Soleil."

Q: Where do you travel with this show?

Mallet: "We go all over the world. We've been with the show for 16 years around the world, full-time, in 40 countries, and we just keep on going. And the show being so accessible and so, you know, there's no, they're all insects, there's not much narration, so even for kids, they love it. They do cartwheels after the show, they get inspired by, you know, the beautiful art and talent that we have on tour, so it's always a really fun time, a really fun dialogue with the audience."

Ovo will be at the Paycom Center September 11-14, and tickets may be purchased on Cirque Du Soleil's official website.