OVO by Cirque du Soleil Presented at Hoffman Estates’ NOW Arena February 13-16, 2025

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List 

Restaged OVO by Cirque du Soleil 

heads to Hoffman Estates for six performances only Feb. 13-16

After 15 years of success & three world tours, the bugs are back in town!

💚💚 Just in time for Valentine's Day💚💚

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Cirque du Soleil has been a family favorite of ours for decades. We're so jazzed to see them back in post-pandemic action and excited to catch the newly revamped OVO. Circus arts are a wonder and delight; something we could all use more of these days. Current events, life in general, and/or the winter weather bugging you? Take a journey into the colorful microcosm of OVO. We adore Cirque du Soleil's multicultural casts and crews of world class talent. OVO is made up of 100 people from 25 different countries, including 53 artists!

From crickets bouncing on trampolines to a hypnotic spider contorting into all sorts of shapes, OVO exudes an extraordinary sense of spectacle that tickles the imagination. Funny and chaotic, yet adorable and wonderful, OVO enchants one’s inner child with its gentle exuberance. OVO ("egg" in Portuguese) showcases high-level acrobatic acts that redefine the limits of the human body.

Bring your family, friends, and/or Valentine to the all new ‘metamorphosis’ of OVO by Cirque du Soleil. I'll be out for opening night of their Chicago area run the 13th, so check back soon for my full review. 

Between a triumphant European tour and a highly anticipated return to North America, OVO by Cirque du Soleil has undergone a full ‘metamorphosis’ under the watchful eye of its original creators. The renewed show will be presented in Hoffman Estates at the NOW Arena in six performances only, February 13-16, 2025. Tickets for this family-friendly bug invasion are available now by visiting www.cirquedusoleil.com/OVO.

After performing in 40 countries and delighting audiences in the Middle East, Egypt, and Europe in recent years, the OVO insect colony returned to Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters in Montreal for a new look. Over the past year, a team of more than 135 professionals (including 53 artists of the show) and the original creators of OVO have developed this restaging, including a revamped set design, new acrobatic acts and characters, freshly designed costumes, and reinvented music.

"The challenge was to find the balance between preserving the essence of the show that made it a success and allowing it to continue evolving. Like the insects that bring it to life, the show is in constant transformation, in perpetual motion: that’s the magic of live arts! Revisiting a production created 15 years ago, with the original creators and the touring team that has made it shine around the world, is an exceptional adventure!" shared Chantal Tremblay, Director of creation in 2009 and 2024.

Cirque du Soleil is thus preparing to offer its audience an even more captivating experience, celebrating both its rich artistic heritage and its constant ability to innovate. To purchase tickets and for more information visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/OVO.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is a world leader in live entertainment. Building on four decades of pushing the boundaries of the imagination, the artistic entertainment company brings its creative approach to a large variety of artistic forms such as live shows, multimedia productions, long-from content, music, immersive experiences, and special events. Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group celebrates 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 6 continents and 86 countries. The Canadian company now employs more than 4000 employees, including 1200 artists from more than 80 different nationalities. For more information about Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, please visit cirquedusoleil.com.

Follow #OVOCirque and #cirquedusoleil on Social Media

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Play Locally: Peter Pan 360 & Cirque du Soleil's Ovo Closing, The Dwarves/Nashville Pussy at Bottom Lounge, Glenwood Arts Fest, LeThrift Deals, Boogers N Little Beans, Pints for Pups and More...

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Featured Favs:
If you haven't caught Peter Pan 360 yet, or want to experience the magic again before the show flies on to the next city, it's now or Neverland.   The show ends this Sunday, the 21st!   ChiIL Mama highly recommends it.   Check out ChiIL Mama's show review and past photo filled coverage.   There are even reduced tickets at Hottixs.org.

PETER PAN

Broadway In Chicago at Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, 

675 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago 

threesixty entertainment, in association with Broadway In Chicago, is excited to announce a unique event - a spectacular new production of J M Barrie's classic story, PETER PAN, at the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center. Conceived by an award-winning creative team, the SMASH HIT Peter Pan features twenty-two actors, stunning puppets, epic music and dazzling flying sequences surrounded by breathtaking video projection using the world's first 360-degree CGI theater set. Both cast and audience fly over Edwardian London. Performed in a state-of-the-art theater pavilion, this magical new "in-the-round" production of Peter Pan is an extraordinary experience for the whole family.

HALF-PRICE TICKETS THIS WEEK:

MUST ENTER HOTTIX IN PROMOTIONS AND SPECIAL OFFERS TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT

Friday 3:00pm $32.50 buy now or at Hot Tix outlet

Saturday 2:00pm $37.50 buy now or at Hot Tix outlet

Saturday 7:00pm $20.00 buy now or at Hot Tix outlet

Sunday 1:00pm $37.50/$20.00 buy now or at Hot Tix outlet

Family Finds also features Buy One Get One Free Pan Tixs.   Check out the details HERE.

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Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo is also highly recommended.   Click here for ChiIL Mama's Ovo review.   Check out our exclusive video interviews with Ovo's Artistic Director, Marjon van Grunsven and Sébastien Savard, Cirque du Soleil Ovo's Violin Playing Cockroach Dad!


Click here for our photo filled, sneak peek behind the scenes at Ovo.


All Week:  

Dog Flights Benefit the Park - All Week Long at Dunlays!

Can't make it to the Pints for Pups Fundraiser? No Problem! Stop by Dunlays on the Square any time this week and ask for the "Dog" flight. You get 5 FANTASTIC Lagunitas Brews, and $3 goes toward the Logan Square Dog Park!


Facets Films:

Now Playing: An Unlikely Love Story   

One Lucky Elephant   

Sixteen years after adopting Flora, circus producer David Balding realizes she is no longer happy performing. The road to Flora's retirement is an emotional journey which tests their bond in unexpected ways. Ten years in the making, the film eschews easy sentimentality and does not avoid examining the problems and mysteries posed by keeping wild animals in captivity. Aug 19 - Sept 1. Read more  Buy tickets.

Friday: 

Benefit show for Streetwise at Beat Kitchen.  

Half of all proceeds will go to this great organization that helps Chicago's homeless population.

Friday, August 19th @ 8:30 pm

Beat Kitchen

2100 W Belmont Ave

The Future Laureates

Bassel and the Supernaturals

   The Hand Grenades

   Tree

$8

21+

You can buy presale tickets here.

This will be a solid night of live music in a fun venue, for a great cause.    Dance, drink and do good.

Don't miss the 10th Annual

Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest

Friday night (Aug 19) Kick-Off Party: 6-10pm

Saturday & Sunday (Aug 20 & 21) Fest: 12-9pm

Featuring 100+ artists, open studios, and live entertainment by 40 bands on three outdoor stages. Experience art of all disciplines, music, theater, food, and drink on the streets of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District.

Check out www.glenwoodave.org for information and schedules.

Weekend:   53rd Annual Air & Water Show.  Love it or hate it, this event will overrun the waterfront this weekend.    We avoided it for years, then my husband ended up interviewing some of the pilots a few years back and the kids were clamoring to check it out.    So we went and had a pretty good time.    


I was still a bit creeped out by the massive display of war machinery and the whole show's basically kid enticing military propaganda.   It was good to see protestors were being given space to do their thing, and raise public awareness there, too.   


I'd last gone back in the early 90's and the sweaty masses and the sight of a bunch of little kids playing all over a tank left a bad taste in my mouth.   I kept thinking of the hippy sticker....It'll be a great day when education gets all the money it wants and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy bombers.  ~Author unknown, quoted in You Said a Mouthful edited by Ronald D. Fuchs


This time around, we didn't see the "tank playground" and my husband was in awe of the planes.   We've debated this for year and his take is, he can admire the science and technology of the machinery and split it from it's intent.    So he doesn't see death, destruction and war, he sees state of the art aeronautics.    The kids just dug the aerial tricks and the excuse to hang with the family at the lakefront all day.




Saturday:
Little Beans Cafe Family Concert Series-The Boogers
Boogers and BBQ-What a great way to spend a Saturday as a family.   Like the Ramones?   Check out Little Beans impressive play space and come rock out with one of ChiIL Mama's favorite bands for the punk kin.    You can see our video interview with The Boogers and loads of live concert footage on ChiIL Mama's YouTube Channel--The Boogers.    Check 'em out!

Sold Out, but ChiIL Mama will see you there from 3-5 if you got your tixs.

Le Thrift Storewide 

Sale

Hey Le Thriftiers! SALE  

Saturday August 20th, 2011

25-75% all items in store

Complimentary drinks and  

hors d'oeuvres starting at 5 p.m.

   Extended Hours on Saturday

10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

1754 W. Division, Chicago IL 60622  

Online customers use code SSLeThrift  

www.lethrift.com

Saturday only 25% off  

Take advantage of our special deals... they won't last long 

Of course we'll be in the photo pit at Bottom Lounge Saturday for this sweet 17+ show!    Click HERE for all the show details and to enter our The Dwarves Are Born Again Disc give away!


Save the Date:

Like temporary tattoos and dunk tanks? Good thing you're invited to 5th Annual Threadless Family Reunion!


ChiIL Mama adores Threadless.   They run free workshops with our favorite non profits like 826Chi and  Girls Rock Chicago.   Du-Jay just took a free creative writing class at their headquarters on Madison earlier this week.   Each kid got to pick a free Threadless T-Shirt to keep and let the shirt spark their creative writing.

New Art Exposition to Feature Leading International Contemporary, Modern and Design Galleries

The inaugural exposition CHICAGO debuts September 19–23, 2012 in Festival Hall at Navy Pier, produced by the newly formed Art Expositions, LLC under the leadership of President and Director Tony Karman.  The new fair will open the fall art season in the heart of America and will draw upon our city’s rich history as a preeminent arts and culture destination.  exposition CHICAGO will showcase up to 100 international art galleries, presenting a curated mix of contemporary and modern art, design and new mediums.  

“This is an exciting time for Chicago.  With our foremost cultural institutions, innovative technology sectors, internationally renowned restaurants, music and theater, and a new Mayor strongly committed to the arts, it’s the right time for us to launch a new contemporary art exposition for our city,” said Karman. “exposition CHICAGO is about looking forward – in theme, scope and presentation. We will adhere to the highest of standards of quality to present a thoughtfully curated mix of dealers, artwork and design for collectors, curators and arts enthusiasts to explore.”  

For 2012, exposition CHICAGO will introduce an overarching theme – Discovery – to focus the programming and special installations that will occur at Navy Pier and other public art projects and events throughout the city.
 
“Discovery is important in all aspects of what we are trying to do with exposition CHICAGO.  We envision that this theme will complement– and magnify – the extraordinary work of our local institutions, dealers, curators and artists,” said Karman. “September is the perfect time to establish our exposition and we will work closely with Chicago’s arts, design, entertainment, business and tourism industries to ensure a not-to-be-missed experience.”   

Art Expositions, LLC has committed to present exposition CHICAGO at Navy Pier for at least three years.
 
For more information about exposition CHICAGO, please call (312) 428-3094 or visit www.expositionchicago.com.

ChiIL Mama's Video Interview With Sébastien Savard, Cirque du Soleil Ovo's Violin Playing Cockroach Dad

Behind the Scenes at Cirque du Soleil's Ovo

ChiIL Mama got a rare, sneak peek backstage at Cirque du Soleil's Ovo.   We were surrounded by acrobats warming up, working out and relaxing, but we chose to shoot mostly props, to be respectful of their private space.    I love the play of patterns and the splash of colors.    There's such a story in the order and disorder of things backstage.   I love the potential of props waiting to appear on stage and fulfill their destiny.   


So, enjoy this secret glimpse into the world backstage at Ovo.   We loved seeing grasshopper shoes and foot jugglers' cobs.....the Ovo egg itself, and its stand in, just in case something happens to the show's namesake.    If you haven't checked out this magical and amazing production yet, head on down to the big blue and yellow tent in the parking lot at United Center while you still can.   


Cirque du Soleil's Ovo is just playing in Chicago through August 21st.   Join Cirque Club for free and save 50% on tickets to select Ovo performances.

ChiIL Mama's Video Interview With Cirque du Soleil Ovo's Artistic Director, Marjon van Grunsven

ChiIL Mama caught up with Marjon van Grunsven, Cirque du Soleil Ovo's Artistic Director on 7-20.    Here is our original video interview.

Mellow Yellow Monday--ChiILin' With Cirque du Soleil's Ovo

We had the great pleasure of checking out Ovo earlier this month and snapped these yellow smartphone photos on our way into the tent.    Some of our favorite talented teens from Chicago's own CircEsteem were performing outside the Ovo tent on 7/14 and they were the main entertainment for the VIP tent there just this past Thursday.    We have some great, original interviews coming early this week with both Ovo's Artistic Director and their Violin Player/Cockroach/Father.   

Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo Excels

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo Excels

We had the great pleasure of checkin' out Cirque Du Soleil's Ovo not once, but twice, last week and we are completely enamored. We've been fans of Cirque's  visually stunning shows, that push the boundaries of circus arts, for years. We were particularly jazzed to see Ovo, as Deborah Colker is Cirque du Soleil's first female writer/director.  We also think bugs are pretty cool, too.

Du-Jay and I first saw the show on Tuesday and were captivated by Ovo's magical microcosm of the insect world. Although the weather was more Cirque Du Pleuvoir (or rain) than sun, we stayed dry under the Seussian blue and yellow striped big top, and had a great evening despite the drizzle. Thursday we got to go back again with CircEsteem and take Sagezilla, who was more than ready to grab on to the silks and join up. The talented, local CircEsteem kids will be providing the VIP tent entertainment for this Thursday night's performance of Ovo!



Tomorrow we're very excited to be interviewing Ovo's Artistic Director, Marjon van Grunsven and Sébastien Savard, Ovo's violinist, who is on tour with his family. We've been shooting a whole series of video interviews on how creatives parent and how parents create. It's a challenge to find a balance, but we believe that parenting and doing creative work simultaneously, infuses each aspect with the best qualities of the other, and enhances both.

Humans share our actual world with over 900 thousand different types of insects, according to Encyclopedia Smithsonian. And people, particularly circus artists, have borrowed moves, costume designs and materials from the insect world for centuries. It's about time we made a celebration of the similarities.

In circus arts and the insect world, there's a common vocabulary, with Spanish  WEB and SILKS.   We thought the pairing of a silk worm carrying the silks to the ceiling, culminating in a beautiful act where the moth hatches from her silken cocoon and stretches her new wings, were genius. We also adored the arachnids. Act 2 begins with an impressive giant spider web, just begging to showcase circus web skills.  

The human/insect parallels don't end there. Ovo's bug world is full of fight, flight, fun, love, work, play, and basic need fulfillment. Over all there is Ovo-the egg-symbol of life. Eggs in this show are coveted as food, and protected as progeny. Glowing eggs are cradled and cherished as future generations. And the very word, ovo, pops out frequently from among the bugs' gibberish.




The little red ants with their feet feats, were big fun. They not only juggled giant kiwi slices, but also baby corn and each other! Ovo also manages to make people laugh, and we really dug that the geeky, spiky underdog gets the girl. We were also thrilled that the show's love interest isn't some dainty princess, waiting to be rescued, but a sizable power house of a bug who rescues her man and is all about being mighty.

Our favorite acts for technical skill were the slack wire and the grand finale wall. I have never seen anyone attempt the slack wire feats we witnessed, and they still don't seem like they should be humanly possible! We had the great pleasure of checking out the urban tramp wall at Cirque Eloize-ID, in late April, and were blown away. Yet Ovo brings something new to the table with a hybrid tramp wall/climbing wall! Check out some of Ovo's stunning performance videos here. Cirque du Soleil remains state of the art, with the budget to keep top performers, live musicians, and numerous unique, world class productions on tour.

We're always impressed that the musicians are such an integral part of the show, with a place of honor on the stage, not hidden away in the depths of an orchestra pit. Cirque shows original sound tracks are so good, they're released as freestanding CDs. When the energy of the musicians and actors and audience mix, it's pure, volatile magic.     

Ovo has been criticized for playing more to the front section than to the sides and that is a valid complaint, as the tent space more resembles theatre in the round, or at least in a deep U. Past Cirque shows we've seen did more of a well rounded job of aiming acts to the sides.   

That said, we saw the show from the 5th row center, which was breathtaking, and from the very back center row, and that was extremely cool, too. The sight lines are clear, even from the back of the tent, and the higher seats provide a great view of the light show, images projected on the tent roof and the group choreography. Up close, the make up and costumes on the insects were amazing. With a small, intimate space, there are no far balcony seats or obstructed views, and everyone is drawn into the action.

If you're balking at the ticket prices, there are discount options available, and Ovo is a spectacle well worth the money.  Check into family 4 packs for as little as $150 for select shows or join The Cirque Club for free and get 30% off on select seating for all remaining performances. Ovo runs through August 23rd in Chicago.

"Cirque du Soleil turns bug’s world upside-down in spectacular OVO.”

Chicago Sun-Times

"Cirque du Soleil OVO: Bugging out extravagantly under the big top.” "OVO is the latest in a long and very distinguished line that have been coming to Chicago for two decades.”

Chicago Tribune

"An exotic insect world aims to delight imaginations  "

"Cirque achieves a fanciful illusion "

Metromix

"Cirque du Soleil ‘OVO’ delivers the unbelievable "

" For two hours, the audience member slowly becomes part of Cirque’s world and will start to think that those are real giant ants spinning real giantsfruits in the air "

Cincinnati Enquirer

“OVO Presents lavish look at world of insects”

“Cirque hatches visual stunner”

Houston Chronicle

“OVO is an astonishing showcase of superhuman feats of strength, balance and contortion”

Houston Press

“Cirque du Soleil OVO: an experience like no other”

Houston Style Magazine

OVO is a headlong rush into a colourful 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.