The holidays are a time of nostalgia for many families, but they can also be bittersweet as parents realise their children have grown out of old traditions and the giddy excitement of unwrapping toys.
Cirque du Soleil’s first holiday show, “Twas the Night Before…,” at Northrop’s Carlson Family Stage tells the story of a father and his daughter as he navigates her growing out of their holiday traditions. The show opened Nov. 26 and runs through Sunday.
As the show begins on Christmas Eve, a young girl sits on her bed with headphones on, brushing her dad off when he enters with a new bike as her gift. Deflated, he goes to pick up the storybook based on the classic poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” and as he opens the glowing book, he unlocks a world of wonder.
Suddenly, the daughter, Isabella, and her father are transported into the story and are separated by a snowstorm. She rediscovers the magic of Christmas along the way as they embark on a journey to find each other again.
The show featured acrobats, dancers and tricks that left the audience in awe. Performers hung and twirled from ropes suspended in the air as guests held their breath. Groups of men dressed as reindeer leapt through hoops. Jolly, Isabella’s guide who resembles Santa Claus, juggled light-up pins.
Fake snow, flashy costumes and colorful lights made the performance a pleasure to the eyes. But what took the performance from a dazzling watch to an immersive experience was the performers’ interactions with the audience.
The cast encouraged the audience to clap along for many parts of the show. They threw snowballs at the audience, and the first few rows were in the splash zone of fake snow for the entire performance.
During one bit, performers came into the audience and launched yo-yos off of strings from the house to the stage. Jolly also chose two guests and brought them on stage to be a part of the performance.
The lighthearted and at times humorous show transported audience members into a wonderland of holiday magic that left them giggling. One elementary-aged girl danced along to the festive music in her seat.
But the sentimental meaning behind the story was not lost on guests.
In the end, Isabella and her father are reunited and embrace each other. He gives her the bike for the second time, and this time she is delighted to ride it, showing off acrobatic tricks and standing on the handles.
She remembers the magic and joy of Christmas that she thought she had outgrown. Jolly returns the storybook to the father, and he and Isabella return home together to read the story, fulfilling their tradition.
Guests were hooked, with their eyes glued to the stage. Whether they were five years old or 50, the spectacle left many of them with a childlike wonder that reflected the nostalgia and awe-inspiring effect of the holidays.
