Cavalia’s ‘Odysseo’ is a dream come true for fans of horses, theater

Cavalia’s “Odysseo” is a must-see event for anyone who has ever so much as wanted to ride a horse. And for the true equestrian, it’s like a dream come true.

Part majestic ode to the bond between horse and man, part thrilling display of physical prowess, “Odysseo” is wholly enchanting.

With a stable of 60 horses of more than a dozen breeds (including Spanish Purebreds, Arabians and Appaloosas), as well as an attractive international cast of humans outfitted like elfin princes and princesses, “Odysseo” plays out with a dreamlike quality.

The action takes place in a circular earthen pit. Colored lights transform the pit as a large video backdrop displays images, transporting the audi- troupes of tumblers and aerialists.

But it shares those best features of Cirque du Soleil without indulging the famous show’s weaknesses: tortured narratives and fumbling grasps at meaning.

Not to say that “Odysseo” lacks meaning. Many acts explore the bond between horse and man. From a woman on foot leading a pack of pale horses in a solemn synchronized dance to death-defying men hanging perilously from the saddles of galloping horses, the show covers a broad spectrum of horse-human interaction.

Even at its most intense, that bond has a collaborative vibe. There are lots of loving pats, rubbed foreheads, touching bodies; it seems like horse and man working together rather than dominance.

But “Odysseo” soars high- est when it celebrates the raw physical possibilities of both creatures. Of course, the humans have to try a little harder to inspire the same sense of awe. Acrobats dazzle, stringing together up to a dozen backflips; aerialists swoop and twirl from hoops and silk; shirtless men bound across the stage and through the air on stilts.

In one of the show’s most visually stunning sequences, an enormous carousel descends from the big top, and acrobats perform arresting displays of strength and balance from its poles as the the carousel turns.

The show’s only occasional distraction is the backing video screen. It provides fine atmosphere when it’s obscured by various set pieces, but it’s noticeably lacking when it becomes the focal point. The images sometimes have a hokey, airbrushed quality to them. A backdrop of giant horses galloping through crashing waves looks like a print you could find at a prize booth at a state fair.

But, fortunately, those moments are rare. Nobody was looking at the screen when the pit filled with gushing water, transforming the stage into a lake for a joyous, splashing finale that had the crowd on its feet in a raucous standing ovation.

Among them were Howard and Peg Fischer, snowbirds visiting from Olympia, Wa., who were celebrating their anniversary at the show. The couple beamed.

“If I had to pick a 41st wedding-anniversary for my wife,” Howard said, “this would be it.”