Imagine bringing Clement Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” to life on stage as written: The parents in their old-fashioned nightclothes, the children dreaming of dancing sugarplums, the miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, the jolly old elf with a stomach that moves like a bowl of jelly when he laughs.
Now put all that through the filter of Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based entertainment company known for reinventing the greatest show on Earth with larger-than-life sets, compelling musical scores and unconventional performers, be they acrobats, clowns, jugglers or trapeze artists.
That’s “Twas the Night Before,” Cirque’s first holiday show which will have 28 performances at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater between Dec. 12 and Dec. 29. The family-friendly spectacular ended its premiere run at the Chicago Theatre Dec. 8.
That bowlful of jelly belly? You won’t find one here.
Writer/Stage Director James Hadley said he took inspiration from Clement Moore’s poem, first published in a New York newspaper in 1823. The work provides the basis for many modern holiday traditions like the names of Santa’s reindeer and dancing sugarplums. Hadley said he knew creating a literal interpretation of the poem wouldn’t work.
“What excited me was using lines from the poem in different ways,” he said. “We wanted to try something new with the acrobatic base that Cirque is known for.”
So expect hip-hop dancing elves, a pair of snowflakes performing with straps, an acrobat incorporating a luggage cart, hoop-diving reindeer, a heroine who hula hoops, in-line skaters, a juggling St. Nick in modern clothes and an energetic diabolo act that’s meant to represent Santa’s twinkling eyes, merry dimples and bow-shaped mouth.
“There are a couple of acts we’ve brought in that haven’t been done at other Cirque shows and that’s really going to surprise people,” Hadley said. “We wanted to gear it towards families and hopefully we’ll give them something joyful and surprising and exciting that will become part of their holiday tradition.”
All of this is set to music based on Christmas classics but remixed and reimagined for today’s listeners.
“You’ll hear it, recognize it and then it will go off on a tangent,” Hadley said. “We wanted to anchor with a traditional concept and do a modern take on it.”
Cirque has been dazzling audiences since two street performers founded it in the early 1980s. As other famous touring circuses have struggled or closed completely -- notably Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 2017 - Cirque has grown. It now has more than 5,000 employees and “Twas” is its 49th original production.
Cirque built its name and reputation on innovation -- one of its earliest productions was titled “We Reinvent the Circus." It moved the circus from the dusty, oft-uncomfortable big top and into clean theaters with comfortable seating. It also eliminated concerns of animal cruelty by not incorporating four-legged creatures into the act. Its international cast of human performers perform moves that are seemingly impractical, if not impossible.
Cirque’s first holiday show, “Wintouk,” ran for 10-weeks each year from 2007 to 2011. That show was meant to celebrate the onset of winter, a season that the Canadian-created company found is not as beloved by those who live south of the Canadian/U.S. border as it is in the Great White North. While filled with Cirque magic, it left at least one critic noting that watching it felt like being inside a snow globe.
“Twas" comes with Cirque’s high production values, incorporating lavish costumes and playing out on something that is more installation than set, glittering and glowing throughout the 75-minute show. It includes a six-foot-tall slide that many performers use to enter the stage.
“What I get from the poem is that sense of excitement, that special vibe, you get around midnight before Santa’s coming,” said Genevieve Lizotte, the show’s art director and set designer “We wanted to translate that excitement to the stage.”
The production also includes a coming-of-age story: Isabella, a teen-ish girl, is turned off by Christmas, preferring to plug in to an electronic device. As her father reads the Moore poem, she is transported to a world where Christmas magic is real. She rediscovers the spirit of the season and reconnects with her family.
“Kids get to an age and they change and their relationships change," Hadley said, “but traditions can bring people together and keep them connected.”
‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE … A Cirque du Soleil Christmas show
Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
New York, NY
Tickets start at $40, available online at msg.com. Dec. 12 – 29
Natalie Pompilio is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at nataliepompilio@yahoo.com. Find her on Twitter @nataliepompilio. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.
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