Portland Expo Center Selected as Exclusive Venue for OVO from Cirque du Soleil

After an extensive city-wide search, the Portland Expo Center has been chosen as the new location for Cirque du Soleil’s Portland premiere of OVO, taking audiences headlong into a colorful ecosystem of the insect world. Teaming with life, this show is a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The production takes place under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) located in Expo Center’s lower parking lot from April 5 – May 20, 2012.

"The Portland Expo Center is extremely proud to be the host venue for Cirque du Soleil, an organization synonymous with world-class artistic excellence,” says Matthew Rotchford, acting director of the Portland Expo Center. “We’re in a unique position to accommodate Cirque's large scale set-up and this production will be a welcome addition to our many event offerings. We anticipate that OVO will be a great success for our revitalized Expo Center, the entire Cirque du Soleil organization and the many unique and varied businesses located in North and Northeast Portland."

OVO, Cirque du Soleil’s 25th production in 25 years, will bring 123 employees representing 22 nationalities to Portland for the seven-week engagement. Numerous jobs across the community are supported during their stay. For example, Cirque du Soleil relies on local suppliers for many essentials for performers and patrons, such as biodiesel fuel, machinery, banks, delivery services, and recycling and waste management – thereby injecting significant money into the local economy.

“A show like OVO from Cirque du Soleil is a win-win for everyone, “Says Teri Dresler, general manager of Metro’s Visitor Venues. “Portlanders love the action-packed entertainment that Cirque du Soleil is renowned for. We are thrilled to host this new event that will serve as a real economic driver to our region.”

Many Expo Center events will continue to run throughout the timeline of Cirque du Soleil's residency in Portland. The Expo Center's new website will post information for event timelines, shuttle options and public transportation schedules for the TriMet Yellow Line, which runs directly from downtown Portland and areas throughout the metro region, to the Portland Expo Center.

About Portland Expo Center
The Portland Expo Center is the West Coast’s largest subsidy-free, multi-purpose facility that hosts almost 100 public shows and welcomes over 400,000 people into the venue every year. The 53-acre campus boasts five spacious exhibit halls totaling over 333,000 square feet and ten varied meeting rooms. Expo is part of Metro's Visitor Venue network and managed by the Metropolitan Exposition and Recreation Commission (MERC). In 2010-2011, the Expo Center generated approximately $35 million in regional spending. For more information about events and facility information, please visit www.expocenter.org.

About OVO
OVO, meaning “egg” in Portuguese, is 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.

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.

About Cirque du Soleil
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries.
Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil International Headquarters are in Montreal, Canada.

Tickets for OVO are now available online at cirquedusoleil.com/ovo. For images of OVO and Cirque du Soleil please visit our online press room at cirquedusoleil.com/press.