‘Odysseo’: A rodeo of a different color

SHOW REVIEW



IN THE AIR—Acrobats, riders and horses show their skills in Cavalia’s “Odysseo,” running on select days through Feb. 4 in Camarillo. Courtesy photo

IN THE AIR—Acrobats, riders and horses show their skills in Cavalia’s “Odysseo,” running on select days through Feb. 4 in Camarillo. Courtesy photo

The Canadian-based Cavalia troupe’s horse-and-acrobat extravaganza “Odysseo,” currently playing under the big top in Camarillo by the 101 Freeway, has been such a galloping success since its opening Nov. 11 that its initial one-month run was extended through Feb. 4.

We attended a Jan. 10 performance and, despite the closure of the freeway, the stands were nearly filled to capacity.

“Odysseo” (pronounced ODDi SAY-o) combines pastoral scenes with riding stunts and acrobatic gymnastics in a program that delights the visual and aural senses.

The show boasts Vegas-style opulence, but unlike the often-mechanical perfection and pretentious storylines exhibited in Las Vegas shows, “Odysseo” showcases the mutual love and affection felt by the beautiful horses and their skilled riders and trainers.

The series of tableaux are set on a vaulted 17,500-square-foot stage backed by a cyclorama on which projections of animated backgrounds—a forest, a barren desert, a sub-African savanna— heighten the atmosphere for each scene.

Horses and riders appear from each side of the expansive stage as well as from the center, as if they are riding over a distant hill.

In the last scene, 40,000 gallons of water flood the arena, creating an ankle-deep lake in which the horses and their riders perform their routines to the delight of the audience.

All the while, a live combo, featuring four musicians and singer Valentina Spreca, provides an exotic musical soundtrack. The band performed from elevated wings on each side of the stage.

The music, written by Quebecois composer Michel Cusson, can best be described as new-age African, with ethereal vocals and an eclectic assortment of instruments: violin, bass, guitar, drums, as well as djembe (an African drum), kora (a 12-string West African lute) and tam-tam (an Indonesian gong).

All of this supports the incredible strength and skill of the performers, equine and human alike, as they execute stunts and coordinated movements for each scene.

Standing riders astride two horses gallop around the arena. A tumbling brigade performs cartwheels and multiple flips, some on “skyrunners,” giant jumping stilts on springs that allow the user to bound about like a kangaroo. Gymnasts perform seemingly effortless aerial stunts of great beauty from suspended rings and drapes.

One of the most impressive involves an aerial gymnastic ballet performed on a full-size carousel as it descends from the 125-foot-high ceiling of the big top.

Sixty-five horses of 13 different breeds from eight countries are featured in “Odysseo,” with each performing no more than 12 minutes during a given show.

Cavalia creates its shows around the horses’ personalities, and from the layman’s point of view it seems like the animals are having as a good a time as their riders. The horses do jumps, rodeo-style galloping and a kind of coordinated “horseography.”

Occasionally, as in last Wednesday’s performance, a horse will exert its individuality and spirit by falling out of line.

During a scene when horses were supposed to be walking in teams of three, two iconoclasts preferred to frolic at the top of the vaulted stage while playing keep-away from their trainers. The strays got a gentle talking to and eventually rejoined their mates in line.

What is most remarkable about the show is the obvious affection the members of the troupe have for the animals. The horses are well-treated and pampered. They even have their own masseuse.

All of this makes “Odysseo” an experience to be remembered for any horse-loving child, and we big kids got a kick out of it as well.