Cirque du Soleil O at the Bellagio - Las Vegas Events
Las
Vegas as a Cultural Experience
 If you finally
decide to leave your oh-so-quiet and luxurious room at
the Bellagio with its marble bath and sweeping view of
the mountains, you'll find everything at your doorstep.
Everything lavish and plentiful. One week will not suffice
to take advantage of all that's offered within the Bellagio.
More than a large hotel, it's a little world with an infinity
of attractions from musical waterworks on a five-acre
lake evocative of the Italian northern region at the foot
of its majestic structure to the six swimming pools, the
flower garden, the posh boutiques, the art galleries,
the sculptures, the spa, the top-notch restaurants run
by stellar chefs and the incredible "O" show.
O
is a shortcut for the French word for water: eau (pronounced
o). The water theme, which is the leitmotif of the Bellagio — with
its lake and the pools — is glorified in the "O" show
by the versatile artists (acrobats-clowns-swimmers-divers-comedians-musicians-dancers)
of the Cirque du Soleil, who display their talent on a unique
stage, a marvel of engineering. Twenty-five feet deep, it
contains 1.5 million gallons of liquid and transforms itself
endlessly within seconds. There's no spectacle like "O,"
probably the best contribution Las Vegas has ever made to
the scenic arts.
Starting
on a circus template, "O" opens up into a celebration of
life integrating the different forms of art by which the
human body and mind can express sensations, reflections,
emotions and vibrations. While water is the source of life,
its antagonist element fire is the other element that conditions
our existence.
Taming
the flames as well as mastering water are the two great
victories of mankind that made us able to survive. The magnificent
and flamboyant entertainment is not only a new circus show
that fills us with wonder, it also opens the door to reflecting
and dreaming. We enter into a surrealist flight where all
is possible: gravity seems to be abolished and pianos surge
from the bottom of the oceans oozing melodies while cavaliers
gallop on the waves. Our human limitations are bypassed.
We are angels and fly, we are fishes and swim. Difficult
to return to reality even in the sumptuous lobby of the
Bellagio lit by a colossal Murano multicolored flower chandelier.
One
way to extend this bewildering session is to visit Picasso.
The imagination of the great artist revealed by the (authentic)
paintings decorating the restaurant named after him is another
emotional shock. Who would ever have thought of Las Vegas
as a cultural experience?
 We
stay on a similar elevated level with Julian Serrano's gastronomy.
While the fountains of the lake jump to the sky, we indulge
in a potato blini topped with caviar, discover an extraordinary
langoustine aside mini tomatoes and fava beans, savor an
incredibly tasty and delicate asparagus cream with crab
meat and almonds, love the cauliflower mousseline with the
roasted bass, let the foie gras that accompanies a tender
squab on a risotto bed melt in our mouth and enjoy the succulent
lamb chop in a Pinot noir reduction with curried potatoes,
artichoke and a subtle final hint of rosemary. And then come
the desserts. They are incandescent. We have not seen such
a firework in a long time. Chocolate, mousse, opera, sorbets
with a presentation worthy of the master-painter, succulent.
With a glass of Beaume de Venise, the touch is perfect.
The
man on the Picasso painting with a wink in his eyes seems
to approve of this (obviously expensive) lifestyle. It's
worth it. It's unique. 
Cirque
du Soleil's "O" — resident show at the Bellagio
For tickets call 888-488-7111, 702-796-9999
or visit www.cirquedusoleil.com
Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
888-987-6667, 702-693-7111
e-mail: guestservices@bellagiolasvegas.com
www.bellagiolasvegas.com
Picasso
Reservations suggested.
888-987-7111, 702-693-7223
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