Cavalia Odysseo

Very beautiful, pretty expensive. I got the cheap «obstructed view» seats. I spent like 10 minutes studying the seating chart and guessed correctly where the tent poles would be so my friend and I could actually see well. The people just two seats to the left of me got screwed though. I don’t think they could see much at all.
It’s pretty much a Cirque de Soleil show only most of the performances involve horses running gracefully through the scenes or interacting with the actors. There were a couple dance acts without horses that were neat too. I would definitely recommend. A very impressive and beautiful show. Oh, and I suppose I should mention the super fit men running around with their shirts off for those who are of the fence about going.

Believe all the billboards you see around town and on buses — you will not believe your eyes when you see all the crazy stunts and the amazing horses at Cavalia. I was absolutely amazed and awed and entranced and privileged to see such a spectacle. I will admit I went as a Unilocal Elite and the tickets were free but it is well worth the money. I still cannot get over how they were able to tame stallions and have them perform. One portion featured just a solitary woman and 12 stallions and it was amazing. I would love to go again, and I recommend going while it’s in town.

I’m torn on this show. It was beautiful… but the horses didn’t seem too happy. drooling all over the place around their bits. At our particular show, one of the horses got frustrated by the girls «whip» and ran off bucking, twice. It was a little scary, but he didn’t leave the ring. It took them a while to calm him down, and he would temporarily.
Other than the drooling and each person having a whip, the show was stunning and we loved it. However… we paid for the SECOND cheapest tickets and they were $ 125 each.

Magical in every sense… scenery — horses and everyone in the show. I have seen Cirque du Soleil many times and this was totally from a different mind set. There are many words that I could put forth but I just want to thank the Mayor of Somerville for having the direction of giving our area some Artistic Brillance.
I saw the show twice once with friends and the first row with my first Grandson who knows what horses can and cannot do and what people on horses can and cannot do and he is only 12 and was in total awe from beginning to end. he didn’t even blink not to miss a single moment.
CAVALIA ODYSSEO THANK YOU ALL FOR A NITE OF MAGIC AND BEAUTY.

Great night out! Surprised the wife for our anniversary.
1^st half of the show was a little slow but very nice visually. 2^nd half was much more acrobatic and very entertaining. Really amazing talent and I would certainly recommend it if they came back to town. Not a bad seat in the place either, the seat 10 ft behind me was $ 80 less and same view.
I would highly recommend the VIP, the seated tables did run out though, so be on time. No lines for the bars, not a nasty cheap keg either, mainly bottled Sam Adams, decent champagne and a few wines to pick from. Decent buffet and pasta bar. Very quick access to the show with no waiting. Own bathrooms too, a big plus. Awesome spread of desserts at intermission, and more free champagne.
Tickets were a little expensive, but all worth it I think.

Seriously, if you have the chance to see this show and you don’t go, you’re an idiot. They bring the most beautiful settings to life under a huge, white big top tent. The tickets we ordered were in row R, but when we got there, the sound guys had taken over from row O back — we asked the ushers for help and we were quickly upgraded to some AMAZING seats — 13 rows back, smack dab in the middle.
As soon as the first horse came out, I started to cry. Maybe I was just overly emotional, but it was a truly beautiful scene. The fact that they go from a lush forest, to a desert, to an ice cave, to a flooded pond is insane — I have no idea how they did it.
The performers were great — they constantly tried to get the audience involved, either by clapping or singing with them — I really felt connected to the show. Everything in this show is just absolutely perfect — go and see it before it’s over!

This show was amazing! I have never been to see Cirque du Soleil, but from what I understand the shows are very similar with one big difference, Cavalia incorporates horses into the show.
I have to say that I must be getting old. Not once in my life have I ever described a performance as «beautiful» however this is the only way that I could describe this show. Absolutely beautiful. The performers were amazingly talented. I didn’t know that human beings could bend like this! And the horses! Who knew you could train a course to lay down and rollover?
It’s difficult to put into words why this show is so beautiful. The music, the ambiance, the costumes, the performers, the whole show is very breathtaking to the point where both my friends and I almost had tears in our eyes (another reason why I know I’m getting old).
It’s a bit pricey, but well worth it. And if you have children that no how to behave in such an environment, then I would definitely recommend this show. It’s enjoyable for all age groups.

Same note as many others: tickets were comped as «media guest». That being said, if you’re a horse lover prepare to get your mind horse-​kicked out of your pony-​loving head.
It’s Cirque Du Soleil meets My Little Pony in a 2+ hour showgasm which had one Hannah, who shall remain last-​nameless), oohing and aahing the entire show (I actually enjoyed it since it let me know when to be more impressed than my baseline which was HOLY CRAP THIS IS CRAZY). I don’t mind horses, in fact I’m quite partial to a motorcycle that I can talk to and dress up in armor, and I can say (not knowing anything about horses) if I had to opportunity to buy a horse I’d happily take one of these. I’m not going to give you a play by play of the show since I want to maximize your chance of peeing yourself with awe or glee, but I will say these are some very well trained horses. The riders do some amazing tricks and acrobatics on/​off these horses and every time I was excited that I was about to see someone fall (before you judge me, let’s face it, we all watch NASCAR for the crashes) I was met with perfect execution. Save for the last few seconds of the last act when a horse fell over with its rider (don’t worry, she got up, brushed herself off and walked off stage).
Damien notes that a critic might note the monotony of the «line all the horses up and move them in a big circle like the hands of a clock» trick, but my criticism is slightly different. There are three «parts» of the performance: horses/​riders, acrobats, and tribal black guys (you see where this is going). I think in the very, very beginning of the show there was a black guy on a horse (though he was light brown and I never saw him again so maybe it was just wishful thinking), but that’s about it. Personally I found there to be two distinct narratives to the performance, for most of the scenes the singing (there is singing by the way) seemed to be a norther European language that I couldn’t figure out (Gaelic perhaps or perhaps very, very ethereally spoken Italian) with people dressed like something out of a fantasy novel. Then the Africans would come out, shirtless and in their capri pants, and amp up the crowd in preparation for the next horse or acrobatic scene. Don’t get me wrong, the African dancers were awesome, they played music, did some impressive acrobatics, and definitely won the crowd over, but it kind of came off minstrel show-​esque, especially with the call and response portion of the show. It’s not clear if the two narratives are based in reality or fiction since it didn’t say what language anyone was speaking or if it was all gibberish so it was unclear if the performance of the African’s was truly cultural or merely the decision of the directors for an unauthentic creation where the backs are the primitive people.
Bottom Line: If you think both of Obama’s parents are black, then you’ll love the show; otherwise, you’ll still love the show, but you’ll look around the audience a couple times for the other black people and give each other that «seriously?» look.
5 stars for the show, –2 for the unclear underlying racial issues.

This was great! First, please note, that we had comped tickets due to my better half’s work. We got to the show just in time and found our seats. I LOVED my seats. The stage is huge and I think every seat in the house is a good one.
The singing was relaxing and beautiful, the horses were amazing, the scenery was like a really awesome dream. True talent from gymnast to singer to horse to set designer, lighting director. JUST AWESOME.
They sold little stuffed horses and I kind of wanted one, but chose to drink champagne instead and it was really good champagne.
This place was really cool, I hope stuff like this stays around here in Assembly Square. Great for the economy and soul!

The next time your mom/​grandma/​life partner/​whoever asks you when you’re going to get a real job or go to law school or stop wasting your time and money doing whatever you do, just say «I have a life plan.» And then take them to Odysseo.
Because really, who doesn’t want to be a dancing horse when they grow up? Everyone will be like, «Ohhhh my gosh, yes, you have the perfect hooves for that! I love when you toss your mane around at parties! I have seen you run around in concentric circles, and you are really, really good at it.»
And you can pat yourself on the back and eat your delicious orange cheese sauce nachos and congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Really amazing show — can’t say I’ve ever seen a lake on stage before or groups of horses moving in synchrony along with human acrobats. These people really manage miracles with the horses. All seats without an obstruction are good, so I wouldn’t worry about paying for the more expensive ones. Bathrooms are very crowded at intermission and concessions are expensive. The person who suggested parking across the street had the right idea as there was a huge line to get out and for $ 10 it wasn’t worth the fee. However, I would still give this five stars. Amazing show and you won’t see anything like it elsewhere.

This show was spectacular — the production, the performers and the horses were truly incredible. The sheer fact that this is a traveling production is impressive. The show itself can be described as a Cirque-​esque type show but with horses. However, don’t expect crazy stunts and acrobatics but its still an amazing show nonetheless. The fact that they trained these horses to lie down, roll around, run synchronized… if anyone has every tried to train a pet, you know that its hard enough with house pets so the fact that they have trained these glorious creatures to do that and more is truly a feat.
The seating chart on the website is very accurate — they inform you of where you will have obstructed views so avoid those seats. But otherwise, there are no seats with a bad view. The way they designed the set and the stage, no one really misses anything.
If you can get tickets before they leave, I highly recommend it!

I got free tickets to opening night (thanks, Unilocal!) and enjoyed my evening spent with «horses and people who really really really love horses».
The show itself was incredible — the acrobats were intense, the set design was phenomenal, the music was impressive. It was all very relaxing — maybe a little too relaxing. Sunset imagery + calm singing = perfect scenario for falling asleep in public. I somehow managed to survive.
The cons:
— bathrooms stopped working halfway through intermission — go early in case this happens again!
— felt like a really late ending for a Wednesday night (10:40ish) in the middle of nowhere
— very limited food options and very long lines
The pros:
— HOW DID THEY DO THAT?
— Is that person seriously riding four horses at once?
— Did you see that Legolas-​like move where he swung under the horse?
— Is there seriously a carousel — and then a lake! — in this tent?
If you have any inclination to watch horses for 3 hours, check this out. Just plan your travel, food, and bathroom needs accordingly!

If your child has every looked up at you with puppy dog eyes and pleaded «daddddddy, I want a pony» — under no circumstance should you bring them to this show as it will only increase the frequency with which you hear this request to a near omnipresent auditory assault. That said, it truly is a wonderful show, regardless of whether you’re a «horse person» or not, and in all seriousness, you should go.
Cavalia was described to me as a Cirque du Soleil w/​horses… so naturally I was moderately confused how these elements would coexist — palaminos on trapeze? Clydesdales do contortion? I was pleasantly surprised by how cleanly woven the fantastic riding/​gymnastic/​acrobatic feats were with really skilled equestrian action.
Yes, I understand the criticism that some of it just looks like horses going in circle — but just stop for a second and realize that these massive, often unbridled beasts, are performing what is essentially synchronized horse-​ing — they pinwheel, they sit, they snuggle with each other — often w/​o having the direct touch of a human — it’s clear that the performers have incredibly strong relationships with the animals to the point where a look, a whistle, or a brief guttural ejection can stop one of these majestic creatures in its track.
The set is gorgeous — and I appreciate that this show lacked the obtuse/​unneeded story lines from Cirque, as well as those weird clown type characters — thus allowing the viewer to be transported into this weird world where it seems totally normal to watch women dangle from silks suspended from the ceiling whilst their partners below manage said silks while also effortlessly guide Lusitanos around the ring, creating one helleva visual effect.
Really, you have to see it to realize how effing cool it all is — and if I haven’t done a good enough job selling it — the male performers are all SMOKING and spend most of the show w/​o shirts on — even after just finishing a course in anatomy, I’m pretty sure I saw new muscle groups on these men last night — especially the troupe of dread-​locked acrobats, all of whom were phenomenal not only in their skill level, but also their buns of steel.
Looking online, it appears to be running through the end of August — Go. Go now.
Adult ticket prices range from $ 50 – 140, kids are from $ 35 – 100. Oh, it’s totally family friendly, PS.

Fantastic show! Looks like I am the first person to review who actually PAID for their tickets, and I think it was totally worth it. My husband and I took our 6 year old for her birthday present and it was amazing. In her words «the best show ever». A couple of notables:
First — they want to charge you $ 10 to park. We parked right next door at the assembly square mall (free) and walked across the street and put the $ 10 towards popcorn and a water. Yup, popcorn and a water was $ 10.50.
Second — they didn’t seem to care that we had a backpack and we brought in our daughter’s sippy cup. Which is awesome as it saved us buying a $ 5 water which she’d surely have spilled. The do have concession stands which are pricey as expected, selling hotdogs, ice cream, popcorn, pretzels and, get this, BEER and WINE! love it.
Third — there’s a boutique right inside selling all sorts of Cavalia merchandise. We notice lines were long before show, during intermission and there were no lines on the way out.
Fourth — the seats all looked totally fine We agonized a lot and ended up upgrading worried about being too far away — but any seat would have been fine. Even the blue obstructed view did not appear to be very obstructed. If I were to go again I think I’d go for the least expensive tickets.
Fifth — the tent is actually air conditioned but not too cold — it was just right even mid afternoon on a summer Saturday with outside temps in the high 80s.
I’d highly recommend this show, it was amazing. The horse are majestic, the performers are wonderful and it seems that the band is actually playing live and the singing is actually live. Best part was probably the finale — when they flood the stage and do the show in the water. Fabulous.
We are actually thinking of going again towards the end of engagement.

Many thanks for Unilocal for the tickets!
There is a way of training horses that breaks their spirit, my girlfriend explained to me. It’s when the owner’s will takes precedent and the horse loses its spunk so to speak. These horses were definitely trained with love and respect. I was very appreciative to see that they were not «broken.»
The title Odysseo suggests this beautiful journey of which you see different landscapes and relationships between horses and people. You see the horses that begin as running free and then a relationship began with human civilization as we began to ride them and introduce them to sport. There was thoughtful juxtaposition of nature, human, modern technology. You see the carousel and the real horses and all these wonderful performances. Keep that frame in mind when you see it!
While the theme was this «odyssey,» I really like that they tapped into the spirit of these majestic horses. We saw a young Appaloosa playfully buck and nip its buddies during the performance. The human performers displayed incredible acrobatics and skill that is artful and fluid. Sometimes I felt like they were paintings coming into life. It was amazing!
So considering it was opening night, there was still a lot of kinks with ticket pick up. I told them I was with Unilocal and gave them my ID. Somehow, they gave me tickets for the San Jose show! With all the seat shuffling, they just let me sit in the VIP section for the rest of the night which I am tremendously grateful for the up and close view. However, it was an intimate show and the stage was visible in the back as well (where I was mistakenly sitting).
Usually, I chalk up a show as either worth the price or if I’d only go see it it was free. This was TOTALLY worth it. This show is worth all the five stars and dollars.
Edit: to the reviewer that criticised something being strapped to the horses’ feet. Those are to protect them from accidentally misstepping and hurting themselves! It’s essentially a brace which makes sense for all the movement in a small area.

This was such a magical, breathtaking, and magnificent experience in every way. From the incredible live music and transcendent IMAX images to the captivating acrobatics and majestic horses — it’s one of the best shows I have ever seen. We felt like we traveled around the world, through four seasons and back again while simultaneously being amazed by the brilliant training of the horses and the athleticism of the performers.
The Big White Top is spectacular — there did not seem to be a bad seat in the house — and it was really fun to nosh on our favorite traditional Big Top fare — cotton candy and caramel corn — while watching the most extraordinary horsemanship and showmanship. The promos don’t lie kids — it really did feel like a dream!
Full disclosure — we had free tickets courtesy of Unilocal!but I would have happily paid for this experience.

NOTE: I was given tickets as a «media guest.»
This show is the ultimate «date night!»
I left full of wonder and magic… feeling high.
I highly recommend taking your special someone.
THE HORSES… Equine excellence at it’s best.
They jump… they dance… they spin… all in sequence…
like a well trained dance team… with & without riders.
THE PERFORMERS… Acrobatics meets cowboy cool.
There were many old school Cirque de Soleil tricks:
ceiling high ribbon aerialists on hoops,
and floor exercises of Olympic quality.
Then come death defying leaps, hanging by a foot,
off a galloping horses back… an old Indian trick, I’m told.
THE STAFF: Skip the concession stand completely.
We waited for ½ HOUR for a bag of popcorn,
ONLY because it took 4 kids to watch the cash register,
and one to repeat to every person in line,
that the credit card machine was, indeed, broken.
SO WHAT? Move the family aside that wanted to pay that way,
or just GIVE them their popcorn for free and write it off.
Instead, they chose to loose $ 500+ in concession sales.
They needed a manager to step in and make that decision.
THE DEAL: I didn’t walk out… I floated… happily high
on horses and hoof dancing. It was easy to see
that most guests had never seen anything like it.
Blame it on the estrogen… I’m in horse heaven!

Full disclosure: I was invited to attend the opening as a media guest, and my ticket was gratis. With the adult admission at $ 49.50, I still say…
Five stars. There’s a certain majesty in monotony, which I suspect, would be a critic’s first negative note of the show.
«There are a lot of circles being run. It’s dizzying.»
«Can the horses do anything else?»
«Oh, this again.»
And it’s to these questions, which perhaps every spectator may think, to some extent, at one point or another during the 2+ hour performance, I take a second moment to consider the sheer difficulty in training, demonstrating and showcasing an entire corral of stubborn horses, a notoriously spookable specie which take to trainer-​less commands as though someone is riding saddle, and mind-​blowingly perform in front of a crowd ignorant to numerous requests to hold off on flash photography. Please, no filming.
It’s absolutely incredible what Odysseo pulls off.
The human acrobatics, while indicative of intense training, don’t reach the meteoric heights of a Cirque du Soleil, and with purpose — this is a horse’s playground. Ornate settings and intricate set pieces don’t belong. This said, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the full-​scale carousel act, the high-​energy tumblers of dizzying speed, the visual parallels provided by an oversized IMAX projection and the sudden emergence of a waterfall-​fed lake. The transitions, much like the changing of the seasons, are smooth and trance-​inducing.
Which fits the bill of most of the show’s atmosphere: a hypnotic dance that conveys calm to the equestrian performers and hopefully, that bratty kid who’s jumping in his chair in the row in front of you. The music is played by a live band tucked away in the batten, and is truly an unsung hero to the performance. Strings, woodwinds, percussion and vocals, the orchestra takes your from continent to continent, and from time to time, as effortlessly as the set.
Which is a feat of grandeur in itself. The Big White Top is now a monument to Assembly Square, drawing oohs and aahs that fraction what you’ll utter during the actual show. Still, it’s massive, and just as impressive, it’s intimate — a traveling circus on designer steroids.
Young or old, if you’ve an ounce of imagination and appreciation for the infinite patience behind producing this show, you’re going to enjoy it.

Came out to opening night this evening thanks to comped media tickets from Unilocal,and loved the performance! Unlike any other type of show I’ve ever seen, and it’s a huge must see if you love horses and circ de soleil type performances. The backdrop was really great, and the screen movement was neat and made it feel like the tent was moving. The lake at the end was truly gorgeous. The horses were beautiful, and very well trained. It seemed like there was only one issue where a horse went somewhat rogue during the performance, which is pretty good, seeing as they are animals. My dogs can’t be that well trained! The performers were so GREAT! I’ve never seen performers swing from a hoop from their heels while suspended mid-​air, or so many consecutive backflips. The horse trainers were very comfortable with the horses, and all the performers were very calm while being around the large horses. It certainly takes a certain type of person to handle that! Also: music. It wasn’t until intermission that we realized all of the music was being played live in a box, and the singing was lovely, in a Celine Dion sort of way.
About the seats: there really doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house. If any are listed as «obstructed view», I’d take it with a grain of salt. There are thin silver pillars holding up the tent in a few locations, but really, they are less of an obstacle than the Pesky Pole. Ain’t no thing!
The customer service staff working with guests seems to be a work in progress. I was pulled over to one section of the line to pick up my tickets, only to be told my ticket wasn’t found. I asked if it could have been with the media area, which was in the tables where the gentleman who was helping me was looking, and he was going to send me down to wait in that line before he realized that was silly, and found it. I was glad he went and got it. The staff at the concession was sort of overwhelmed and they didn’t seem to have anyone really in charge or helping. A credit card machine went down in front of us, and instead of just letting the poor people go, they were waiting until they could get someone to fix it for $ 13. It just made me feel uncomfortable. They also had no candy though it was listed on the menu, which my friend wanted, but we were told we could go to the other concession stand because they had it there. And the freezer was broken, so all the ice cream melted. My beer was sort of warm. We split popcorn, which was GIANT. It was roughly $ 5-​ish dollars, and could have fed four people. We had to ask for butter, because it was behind the counter and it was handed to us plain and the gentleman sort of walked away. The popcorn is a vessel for the faux butter-​total must.
We also got a ticket for the after party, which I am assuming is part of the VIP experience, and that was really neat. We got to go into a special tent with desserts and drinks, and then into the stables. The food disappeared pretty much right away, and drink lines were sort of nuts. The stables were really neat, and the horses seem well cared for. It was neat seeing them up close, and you have the chance to meet the performers if you want too. There’s photo area set up to buy photos with the performers and a horse, if you feel like spending more cash.
Anyway, the show is five stars, and hopefully the customer service will catch up. I hope lots of people go and check this out so we can have more traveling awesome shows come through Boston. And Somerville. YAY, ASSEMBLY ROW!!!