On opening night - August 30, 2017 - Normand Latourelle the Creator and Artistic Director of Odysseo introduced himself before mentioning that bringing Cavalia to a community is no small feat as they travel with 120+ trailers and required 400,000 square feet. He thanked Mayor Megan Berry and other Music City Council Members who were present at the premiere for their support. Normand stated that of all the cities he has worked with Nashville was the easiest and most welcoming. In concession to the notorious Nashville traffic they delayed the show's start time to ensure that the people still coming in would not miss a moment of the magic that was soon to unfold in a daring display unlike anything we have experienced. Mr. Latourelle also acknowledged the 120 regular employees of Cavalia along with the local staff. After a short video the curtain rose.

Magical scenes from Cavalia Odysseo in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the first scene we found ourselves gazing upon horses quietly grazing in a dark forest before a singer emerged along with more humans. All coming together in fluid motions as majestic live music underscored the action. As Odysseo flowed from one scene to another it also showcased the talents of amazing acrobats in various configurations revealing different cultures through colorful costumes, dance, music and visuals. In some cases these artists worked with the horses who added elegance to the already incredible stunts.

Odysseo was also about relationships. In one act a lady was leading a heard of handsome horses thought a series of graceful maneuvers. Her commands were subtle yet effective. At one point as the agile animals were standing in a line she touched each one in a slightly different spot demonstrating she knew what their preferences were.

Magical scenes from Cavalia Odysseo in Nashville, Tennessee.

Later in a scene with a spectacular moving backdrop and a relatively large crew of horses and humans one animal decided he was not in the mood to participate in the formations. His trainer did not force him to be a part of it. Instead he followed the horse gently encouraging him to join the others which he eventually did on his own terms. It was one of a number of expressions of freedom that revealed itself during the performance.

The culmination of the show blends all the elements together in a dramatic display of horses and humans paired with a state of the art set that involved a lot of water. Odysseo was a stunning yet stirring voyage of acrobats, artistry, color, music, scenery and spectacle. In our years of running the website, we at MusicCityNashville.net have been blessed to have seen many outstanding events and concerts such as TSO and even most recently the Roger Waters Us+Them tour which was heavy on effects but certainly no escape from reality. Having said that we can declare that for us Odysseo was "The Best Show Ever" or until Cavalia conceives another epic adventure. Now it's up to Music City to see for themselves.

Magical scenes from Cavalia Odysseo in Nashville, Tennessee.

Related Links: For more information on CAVALIA ODYSSEO and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- Cavalia