PHOTO FLASH: Cirque Du Soleil Raises Big Top for Ovo on Randall’s Island

Cirque du Soleil raised its trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at the Randall’s Island Park, on Thursday, April 1 in anticipation of the start of the New York run of its latest touring production, Ovo, which will begin performances on April 9.

A team of 60-plus men and women hoisted more than 100 steel poles from the ground up. The Grand Chapiteau — which stands 66 feet high, 167 feet in diameter and is supported by 4 masts, each 80 feet tall — seats more than 2,500 people in a climate-controlled environment.

Deborah Colker has directed and choreographed Ovo, which features 53 performing artists from 13 countries. The show’s title means “egg” in Portuguese, and the production is described by the company as being “a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.” The action of Ovo is set in motion when a mysterious egg appears in the insects’ midst.

For further information, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.