REALWORLD: Ovo: The Millennium Show
Created for the performance area situated at the center of London's Millennium Dome,Ovois an ambitious concept piece that attempts to address the stages of human evolution through a family saga. That it fails is not all that surprising, given the project it's associated with. Never one to be intimidated by a concept or a challenge (seeGenesis, the early years, orThe Last Temptation of Christ), Gabriel may have been the ideal choice for a multicultural, technology-focused show, and his general instincts seem sound. But even Cirque du Soleil, whose work this most resembles, never had to contend with the blending of Gaelic folk and tribal overtones, techno-futuristic soundscapes, gentle ballads, or a sludgy reworking of "Digging in the Dirt," complete with a rapped story line. Though there are some fine, interesting moments here, they're too often lost in the shuffle--which sounds as much like a requiem for the Dome as it does forOvo.--Randy Silver