Every creature is dancing in Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…

If there was ever a perfect, baked in opening line for a Cirque du Soleil show, it is Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” It begs for a mischievous night in motion – and that’s what it gets.

Cirque du Soleil has been making human-powered magic for audiences since 1984, performing on 6 continents and in 86 countries in the past 40 years. ‘Twas the Night Before… is the company’s first and only holiday show.

The classic poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore, sparks Cirque’s story about a young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays and reconnects with her dad thanks to a fall into a magical, winter realm. But of course, the plot is incidental here. Really, it’s just a framework for an evening of the incredible acrobatics and larger-than-life staging that Cirque du Soleil is known for. Director James Hadley seamlessly brings together 26 artists from all over the world who dance, amaze and entertain to a soundtrack of many Christmas favorites re-invented with a Euro-pop beat by Cirque du Soleil.

The show has all of the classic acts you’d expect, clown, acrobats, dancers, etc. and, as you’d also expect, they are all excellent at what they do. This show in particular has a “Corps de Kpop” dance troupe that was as fun as it was of-the-moment. Another running theme of the night was the passage of small, bright lights – they were thrown, shared, and spread across the stage in several set pieces, creating a holiday appropriate festival of lights without taking away from the performances.

The audience is first ushered into the wintery realm by acrobats and dancers Arthur Morel Van Hyfte and Guillaume Paquin, as Snowflakes whirling and flying about the stage using straps. Their physical strength and grace were enough to make it feel as though we had left the real world.

Anastasiia Shlokhova took us completely out of the real world with her number, a “Hair Suspension” act, which was difficult to believe even as I watched it, and I was surprised to discover it is common enough to have a name. Shlokhova does as the name suggests – she dances, flying up and down and through the air, suspended by a strap connected only to her bun. You have to see it to believe it.

Another logic-defying act was a roller skate dance performed by Alina Suvorina and Jordan Smith, dressed like 1980s Barbie Dolls escaped from a box and living it up till caught. Suvorina came so close to the ground in several of the twists and spins she performed with Smith that the gasps from the audience became part of the soundtrack.

The Hoop Diving and Acro Table act was also wildly popular with the crowd, leaping and bounding across the stage as if gravity did not pertain to them.

What all these acts had in common, is that everyone on stage was not only at the pinnacle of their personal best physically and theatrically, they all worked together seamlessly and appeared to be having the absolute time of their lives – that is a heady mix of energy I would defy anyone to resist.

What is most fascinating, and most wonderful about Cirque du Soleil, is that the artists and production team are creating shows built on, and inspired by the work of circus arts that have been honed across many cultures for centuries, and yet, every performance feels new and exciting. This is in part because of the updated music or color, the youth of the performers or the theme, but because it is also based on the one thing that is most powerful through the ages – the miracle of what a human being, and human body can do. It simply never gets old.

This night is perfect for family and friends coming in from out of town, for a special family night out, or if you simply need to be reminded that there is magic in the world.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Alina C. Hevia

The Chicago Theatre is at 175 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601.

Tickets start at $39 in person at the Ticketmaster Box Office at The Chicago Theatre and at $51 when purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For groups of nine or more, please contact the Group Sales Department at 212-465-6080 or Group.Sales@msg.com. Accessible and companion seats are available for these shows via the Accessibility Services Department.

For more information please visit www.msg.com/the-chicago-theatre/accessibility-services.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.