We live in an age where stress, anxiety, and the hustle overwhelms our lives and even the holiday spirit gets buried under that flurry of modern burdens. We need help slowing down, simplifying and remembering who we are beneath it all. We need help, young and old, finding that holiday joy and on the rainiest, windiest day of the year, thousands made their way into Boston to the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre where Cirque Du Soleil gifted us all that free-spirited, beautiful, magical feeling of joy. ‘Twas The Night Before reminds you of the simple pleasures of the holiday albeit with some breathtakingly complex acts.
Especially in the hustle and bustle of adult life, there isn’t too much that gets you out of your head and back into your heart and soul. An unexpected snow flurry or the delight of huge beautiful snowflakes gently falling in the spotlight of a city streetlight brings me pure bliss. Stopping by a stunning Holiday display in the windows of a NYC or Paris shop will scoop me up from where I am in my world and make me feel like a child again excited for the holidays. That same feeling, enveloped me at Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before act after act.
The show takes Clement Clarke Moore’s familiar 1823 Christmas poem and classic carols and sprinkles a little of that Cirque du Soleil magic over it to create a show that is meaningful, playful, beautiful, and sassy appealing to all ages. ‘Twas the Night takes familiar Cirque du Soleil acts and gives them a holiday spin. I love the main character Isabella, played by Alicia Beaudoin, a teen holed up in her bedroom, protectively walled in behind her music and her screen, disconnected from her family and the outside world,
While the music is not live for this particular Cirque du Soleil show it is just as creative and unique as any other Cirque performance. I love classic Christmas carols and the versions created by Jean-Phi Goncalves were beautiful (apologies to the man in front of me because I could not help belting out a few choruses). In between these tweaked classics were what I am calling Tik Tok Techno songs, which were perfect for the playful dances choreographed by Ving Nguyen of the fabulous Kinjaz.
Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before runs through December 11th at the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased here. If you gather 10 friends and family you can get a group discount of up to 20% off.
There was a theme of light and passing the light from one to another which was both beautiful to watch and a good reminder about what makes us human as part of a community. We do pass the light on to one another especially over the holidays. After several years of COVID restricted holidays, being able to reconnect with one another is a treat. While the dancers tossed the light to one another, hair suspension acrobat Charlotte O’Sullivan turned herself into a spinning star in the night sky. Don’t miss this chance to awaken for the holidays. Grab a friend or the family and catch a show before they head out of town. Here is the playlist to help get you in a festive mood.
