When Cirque du Soleil comes to town, it’s expected that anyone attending is in for something special. When Cirque brings a show to town and combines its trademark brand with Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, it’s going to be magic!
Hundreds of Cleveland families lined the walls of the KeyBank State Theater lobby as they took photos in front of the giant Christmas Tree, waited in line for their favorite snack, and hit up the merch table covered in Christmas decorations. ‘Twas the Night Before… was on everyone’s mind as theatergoers and families knew they were in for a treat.
(If this event sounds like something you wish to attend, then perhaps pause this article as some spoilers are coming!)
The night starts with Isabella (Alexane Leclerc), who reluctantly goes along with her father’s (Charles-Eric Bouchard) tradition of being read A Visit from Saint Nicholas. Isabella clearly feels as though she’s outgrown this Christmas pastime. While reluctant, Isabella is about to be met with something different this year, magic and animation. The story isn’t ordinary; no, it’s been brought to life for an experience for her to have and the audience to enjoy!
Cirque du Soleil shows always hit the ground running. Typically, the traveling performance chooses a much larger space like an arena, so when its scaled to a smaller theater, it stands to reason that expectations might shrink with the venue space. WRONG!
The first Act was the Straps Duo, which consisted of Gema Garcia Moresco and Miguel Guillen Pozuelo. The two flew around the stage, only holding on to ribbon light straps. As the cable raised and lowered, their performance had the audience holding their collective breath.
With act after death-defying act, the night continued with amazement. For Hotel Cart, there was literally a hotel cart in the middle of the stage, and what Leah Wolff was able to do with the cart was imaginative and amazing. With the cart suspending 20 or more feet in the air, Wolff hung from the hooks of the cart and spun separately from the suspension cable. This allowed her and the cart to spin freely from one another. The entire performance was unique and amazing. She flipped, hung from her feet, and then flipped back over. (This is easier seen than described!)
The show as a whole was very well produced. With a multi-leveled stage, complete with a quarter pipe slant to the main floor, there was no shortage of what these talented performers could do.
The lighting was spot on (pun intended) from the beginning. At other times, on stage, snowlike confetti launched into the air for everyone’s enjoyment.
The music was loud, high energy, and prerecorded because the live performance was the center of attention of every acrobat, actor, and dancer on the stage. The artistry that went into every piece of clothing and the detail-oriented makeup had to have taken hours to prepare. Like someone would come to expect from Cirque du Soleil, everything was thought of and planned to be the best it could be.
As the night went on, it was clear that this special take on a Christmas show was special. Cirque du Sdeil had once again put something together that had never before been seen and appealed to all ages. While the underlying story was told to and for children, the level of complexity and physicality is something that adults will appreciate and enjoy.
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