‘O’ performers prepare, practice beyond the view of the audience

The blackened heads of former cast members hang along the back wall, their lifeless and vacant eyes greeting all those who scurry past.

Life backstage at "O" is nothing if not surreal.

Each performer is required to have a bust of his or her head cast upon joining the show. The piece enables wardrobe staff to work more aptly with the nearly 400 headpieces needed each night.

When a performer leaves, the busts are painted black and hung along the staircase wall.

The show, which is comprised of 75 stage performers (artists), a 10-member band and 143 technicians, is one of Cirque du Soleil's longest-running and most popular Strip productions.

"O" functions with a surprising sense of tranquility behind the high curtains, beyond the sight of audience members who fill the 1,805-seat auditorium.

There are no raised voices, no stage managers barking instructions while lithe and fast-moving figures cut through the blackness to meet their cues.

Twice a clown might walk by on fire reading a newspaper.

Nearly a third of the performers have been with the show since it began its run at Bellagio on Oct. 28, 1998. Little about the show's protocol has changed since then. The show performs twice nightly except Monday and Tuesday.

Performers are required to sign in by 6:30 p.m., an hour before the curtain drops, and they don't leave until about 12:30 a.m. For many, however, the day starts long before then.

While a day for the artist can start as early as noon, the day for the stage crew starts as early as 7 a.m.

Artists apply their own makeup, a skill that takes time to learn.

When Chelsea Luker, one of the synchronized swimmers, first arrived in late 2007, it took 90 minutes to apply the waterproof makeup that needs to last two shows.

Now it takes 35 minutes.

Gene Kimlin, a former competitive diver from Brisbane, Australia, is among the more recently hired cast members.

The 24-year-old, a featured artist in the high-dive and the Russian swing, also acts in bit parts throughout the show, as do many of his fellow artists.

Having joined the show in November, Kimlin is in the training stages of guiding 750-pound propelled horses around the watery stage.

Three days a week, he attends tutoring sessions for dance or on the Russian swings. The experience is similar to what other artists are required to go through in their respective crafts.

Kimlin says that his favorite moment during the show comes when the audible gasp of the crowd surrounds him as he dives nearly 65 feet into the waiting water below.

Artists, according to Kimlin, have the uncanny ability to tune out crowds of nearly 2,000 people at any given moment, but often choose not to.

"In the high-dive, I quite like hearing the reaction of the crowd because it pumps you up and makes for a better performance as well," Kimlin says. "The moment before you dive, stepping out and actually hearing the crowd gasp."

According to Kimlin, the show presents quite a workout for performers, enabling them to maintain the physical standard required to endure two high energy shows per day.

Still, should performers feel the need to work out during their downtime, a pair of backstage exercise rooms offer opportunities to work the medicine ball, take a yoga class, a course taught by the head of wardrobe, and stretch out before hitting their cue.

Kimlin's path to "O" has been similar to that of many of the artists.

He found himself looking for a new career after a head injury on the diving platform at the 2006 Goodwill Games trials cut short his competitive diving career after 11 years.

While the injury cut Kimlin's career before the Olympics, eight former Olympic synchronized swimmers, divers and gymnasts make up the artists' ranks. The show's artists also represent 23 countries.

One of Kimlin's friends mentioned that Cirque du Soleil was looking for divers for the Russian swing. So he was off to Montreal, location of the company's headquarters and training facility.

However, no positions were available after three months in the company's general training program in 2006, so Kimlin went back to Australia for two years until the call came.

Kimlin says he views his new career as a combination of entertainment and a continuation of his diving career.

"The difference is, here, I'm enjoying every moment of what I'm doing and not being judged on what I'm doing," Kimlin says. "Competitive diving is a lot more stressful."

During the show, artists find their way to the exercise rooms or the greenroom where they can follow the show on televisions.

So there, in a surreal moment, sits a clown reading the newspaper, waiting for his cue.

Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.

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