After 15 years, Franco Dragone revisits his creation ‘O’

It’s not so easy to put the warm fuzzies into words. But you felt that rush of exhilaration the moment the welcome was shouted from the O Theater stage Thursday night. “Ladies and gentlemen!” was the call-out from the familiar audience member pulled onstage to start the proceedings.

That’s all the crowd needed to hear. The 1,800 or so in attendance roared. “O” then dove into a flawless performance, marking the show’s revival after 16 months away. It was too long between performances for the show’s passionate cast and crew. It was also an astonishingly long break for the man who made it all happen 25 years ago, the show’s creative founder Franco Dragone.

Dragone moved almost totally unrecognized and unimpeded with the crowd filing out of the theater. He said it had been 2006 or 2007 since he’d seen “O,” just as he had developed the Strip’s other aquatic masterpiece, “Le Reve” at Wynn Las Vegas.

Dragone does not like to revisit his former shows. He’s more superstitious than sentimental. Even behind his face cover (which he still wears in public places, to play it safe), you could tell he was smiling.

“What I will tell you is banal and all cliches, but what they do is so, so, so, impressive,” Dragone said during a walk from the O Theatre seating area to the lobby. “They respect every little detail. What they do is so very difficult, and maybe when people are watching, they don’t realize this. But here, we see the precision, every movement, every position of the body can send a different message.”

Dragone sent flowers to the “Mystere” cast on Monday, and again to the “O” team on Thursday. Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre arranged for Dragone to have tickets to both shows, ending Dragone’s long break from stepping into a Cirque theater.

Though he had originally planned to be at “Mystere,” which he also conceived, Dragone held off to make “O” his first Cirque show in the pandemic.

Dragone is going to be more prevalent in Las Vegas this year and into 2022. His pre-show nightclub project with Criss Angel, originally titled Mr. Smiles & Molly but certain to be renamed, set to launch by the end of the year. That concept will be paired with Angel’s “Mindfreak” show at his Planet Hollywood theater (that show relaunches Wednesday).

Dragone also still has “Rise,” the outdoor acrobatic show, on the table for next year. Other concepts abound from his production company, and a refreshed version of “The House of Dancing Water” production is due to return to City of Dreams resort in Macau in 2022, too.

But Thursday was all Cirque nostalgia, as Dragone spoke immediately after “O.”

“I was fine at first, but strangely enough, during the show, I started to go, ‘Ooh! Ooh!’ when I saw something that affected me,” Dragone said. “I am happy for Daniel and all of the people in Cirque. Congratulations to them.”

Ruffin on the road

Word from Treasure Island is owner Phil Ruffin has been out of the office traveling and has yet to see a full run of “Mystere.” Ruffin owns the only Vegas company aside from MGM Resorts International to be in partnership with Cirque du Soleil. The return of the show to the 1,500-seat theater is, naturally, a massive boost to hotel business. Ruffin helped persuade Cirque officials to move it to the front of the line in Cirque’s reopening plans.

Those masks

A few Cirque artists wore face covers in the company’s reopening this week. We will see some performers in face masks, as anyone , once fully vaccinated, artists can perform on stage without having to wear a mask, as per CDC guidelines

NY-NY, Cirque … and you

I asked Lamarre if “The Illusionists” might be moved into a Vegas theater, specifically the former “Zumanity” room at New York-New York. I have also asked MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle about plans at New York-New York, and he’s only said there would be a brand-friendly show able to perform 10 times a week coming to the hotel.

“The Illusionists” is the magic production owned by Cirque that has succeeded on Broadway and on tour. The show was to be presented as the cornerstone of “One Night For One Drop” at Luxor last March, sliding in as “R.U.N” was closing at the theater. That show was spiked because of COVID, but “The Illusionists” remains a Cirque holding.

“The truth is, I haven’t found a place for that show yet,” said Lamarre, who did not rule out a new, original Cirque theater in that venue. “We have many options. Right now we are looking at various alternatives. What we do normally is develop five or six different concepts, very different, and do our research locally to see what will work best.”

Gaz chimes in

You know Vegas is back when Gazillionaire fires darts at a Cirque show.

The fictional producer of “Absinthe” has checked in with a company statement, welcoming “O” and “Mystere” back to the stage.

The crass, flush-with-cash character says, “I’m so happy to hear that fellow circus show ‘O’ is opening again. Now all those boring old people that have been coming to ‘Absinthe’ can stop walking out of my show, and they can go see a real circus. Which one is ‘O’? The weird baby? Or the one with the pool? I’ve only seen pictures.”

And, we guess, charcoal sketches. Gaz often steps in when the company’s real-life producer, the impresario Ross Mollison, is not available for comment. That has been the cast this week.

Spiegelworld has mined a mint by satirizing and teasing Cirque shows. The “Absinthe” act Cesarean Ballet is presented as a a piece from the fictional Cirque show “Le Petite Merde” in Reno.

But today, Spiegelworld and Cirque are closer in parity than at any time in either company’s history. At least, this is true in Las Vegas, where Cirque currently presents five traditional shows (“Mystere,” “O,” “Michael Jackson One,” “Love” and “Ka”) and also owns Blue Man Group at Luxor, giving it a half-dozen Strip shows.

Spiegelworld has “Absinthe,” which is actually two companies (under the titles of Unicorns and Moustaches); “Atomic Saloon Show” and “Opium.” Cirque is a far larger international company, as it returns several touring shows, and likely owns more brand-recognition equity, especially with its MGM Studios documentary in the works.

But we remember when “Absinthe” arrived in April 2011 as Spiegelworld’s only Strip show, as Cirque had seven productions running in Las Vegas. The divide is not nearly so great today.

Kicking it upstairs

“Fantasy” and Carrot Top have had their fun at Luxor Theater. Both shows adapted well to the big room during COVID, but have now relocated to their original home, Atrium Showroom, just across from Bodies and Titanic exhibits on the second floor. As shows’ audiences swelled to a high of about 600, we collectively wondered if they could make money in long-term residencies. I think they could. Instead, “America’s Got Talent Live!” is moving into Luxor Theater, opening Nov. 4.

Great Moments in Social Media

Check out Robin Slonina’s new mural, just completed at Circa’s Stadium Swim. She has posted on Instagram @Robinslonina. Big week for the Slonina, as Jimmy Slonina (Robin’s husband) returned as clown/usher Brian Le Petit in “Mystere.”

Cool Hang Alert

Country artist Sam Riddle, whose talent is no joke (hah) plays 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at International Bar at Westgate Las Vegas. A great way to groove it up and beat the heat. No cover, so buy some FizzyWater at the watering hole across from the stage.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.