O by Cirque du Soleil

The water-based Cirque du Soleil spectacle in its own purpose-built theater at Bellagio: divers, swimmers and acrobats working in and above a huge pool.

O has played at Bellagio since the resort opened in 1998, and it remains the show many Las Vegas regulars name first when asked what to see. The name is a play on the French word for water, eau, and the whole production is built around a stage that is really a pool.

The theater was designed for the show, with a stage that can turn from solid floor to deep water in moments. Performers dive from heights, swim underwater, swing from trapezes and rise out of the pool as if the floor had never been there.

The show has no spoken story to follow. It is a sequence of dreamlike scenes full of costume, music and athletic feats, directed by the late Franco Dragone, who also created Mystère. Synchronized swimmers, high divers and acrobats share the stage with clowns who bridge the scenes. Because so much of it is physical and visual, it works for visitors from anywhere, whether or not English is their first language.

The theater at Bellagio is a horseshoe-shaped room with sightlines that are good from most seats, and the staging is designed so that almost every seat has a clear view of the water. The front rows can get splashed during some moments, so wear something you do not mind getting a little damp if you book close to the stage. Higher and rear seats see the patterns and formations better, and many regulars actually prefer a middle section a few rows back for that reason.

The show runs about 90 minutes with no interval, and it usually performs on most evenings of the week with a couple of dark days, so check the calendar for your dates before building a plan around it. There are typically two performances on show nights. The theater has an age guideline, and very young children are not admitted, so confirm the current policy if you are traveling with a family.

Bellagio sits on the center Strip, directly opposite Caesars Palace, with the Fountains of Bellagio on the lake out front. Arrive early enough to walk through the Conservatory and Botanical Garden and to catch a fountain show before you go in. The theater entrance is signposted inside the resort, and the walk from the self-park or the front door can take 10 to 15 minutes, so allow time. Dinner before the show works best at one of the restaurants near the theater, and drinks are available in the theater lobby before you take your seat.

O is a good choice for couples, for first-time visitors who want one Cirque show, and for anyone who likes the idea of a show that could not be staged anywhere else. If you only have time for one Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas, many visitors choose between O, for water and spectacle, and KÀ, for a story told with a moving stage.

A few practical choices make the evening smoother. Book as early as you can for Friday and Saturday, when the better seats sell first, and compare sections before you settle, because the price difference between neighboring sections is often small. Eat before the show rather than after, since the late performance finishes at a time when many restaurants are winding down.

If you are staying elsewhere on the Strip, allow extra time for the walk or ride, and leave a buffer for the crowds that gather around the fountains. Dress is casual, though many guests dress up a little for the occasion.