I strive to be comprehensively balanced on my reviews, but still it may come as a surprise to many that I'm giving 'O' only 3 stars (well actually 3.5... well now actually 4... see at the end)
There's a saying in Vegas, not "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Another saying something like, "We're in Vegas, lets go back some 'bad' decisions." Cirque 'O' is probably the BEST bad decision you can make in Vegas in my opinion.
The show itself is 4.5 stars in my book. The missing half star is because for me, the 'WOW' factor was not quite what I expected for the price of the ticket and the hype from all the other reviewers. But nonetheless, the show can be appropriately described as spectacular. One criticism I have is the stage is VERY deep so it can be hard to make out the characters in the back of the stage. A small pair of binoculars (if you are sitting in back) would be a great tool to fully enjoy the amazing costumes. Also I caution, that I would not recommend sitting in the first dozen or so rows. Much of the show takes place high in the air, and you will have a much better perspective sitting about mid-way back.
So why only 3.5 stars? The price. Yes, yes, I know, everything in Vegas is about 80% overpriced nowadays. It's the law of supply and demand and the theme of 'excess' rampant throughout the town. But to me, that's no excuse for a mediocre value, and that is what 'O' is. For $170 per person (unless you sit in the balcony or get a partially obstructed view) for a 1.5 hour show, it IS described at BEST a MEDIOCRE value. That's $680 for a family of four. You can do quite a few more interactive and cool and longer lasting activities for $680 for a family of four. Think about it.
If money is virtually no object, 'O' is a no brainer. But if you like to get some decent value for your entertainment dollar, you can maximize it with Cirque by managing your expectations going in which I didn't and that was my mistake and the partial fault of many other reviewers which seemingly have a lower 'amazement threshold' than myself. To each their own though.
So where did I sit you ask? After careful consideration, we chose the first row of the balcony and it was a good decision (yes I know it may be ironic I'm complaining about the value when I bought the $40 cheaper seats - but I'm writing the review considering the vast majority of the seats are the higher price.) You will have to lean forward to look over the railing to see things that are happening in the very front of the stage and in the crowd. The perspective is great, you are at eyes level with much of the show in the air and have a good perspective on the deeper area of the stage and see some of the synchronized swimming moves from a better elevated perspective, I would NOT sit in the balcony in any other row though as there is occasional action in the crowd below that is fun to watch that you can't see from the other rows in the balcony. I think the best seats would be the first few rows of the "second/upper orchestra section" in the middle on either side of the controller area or the center of the Loggia (lower single row balcony).
I'm a music lover and an MJ fan. The music in 'O' was great but I think it could have been more exciting. I honestly think I would probably enjoy the more immersive musical experience of Michael Jackson The One.
I was about to hit submit with 3-stars rating but decided to round up realizing many readers may not realize that 3-star rating has a lot to do with value and isn't just a rating for the show itself so I've decided to weight it on the show itself and avoid the backlash of the others drunk on the Cirque Cool-Aid.