Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Twas The Night Before…’ is visually stunning

If you have never seen a live performance of Cirque Du Soleil here is your chance as they will be performing “‘Twas The Night Before…” in The KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square. As my lovely wife remarked during our drive back home the show was “visually stunning” and I have to truly agree with her appraisal.

Father (Charles-Eric Bouchard) wants to continue a family Christmas tradition by reading “’Twas The Night Before Christmas” to his teenage daughter Isabella (Alexane Leclerc). He has also purchased a sparkly brand new bicycle for her. Both ideas are shunned by the daughter who would rather spend her time with her headphones on and her phone stuck to he nose.

Suddenly, Christmas Elves (Camei-Li Brooks, Maleena Contreras, Yannick Fahey, Stephanie Herbert, Isabel Rose Lacon and Tomoki Nakabayashi) invade their house and transport the two of them to a magical Christmas world with the two of them becoming separated. Over the course of the next hour and a half a variety of amazing acts are performed. Isabella is introduced to Santa Claus who performs an amazing juggling act with lit up juggling clubs.

We are then treated to Gema Garcia Moresco and Miguel Guillen Pozuelo performing a superb duo strap aerialist act. This is followed by Leah Wolff doing a wondrous turn with a hotel cart that is then lifted into the air. Next a zany collection of acrobats including Roberto Alvarez Serrano, Nicolas Nieto Teusa, Yan Rocha Anderson Sanchez, Richard Anderson Sanchez, Tao Yang, Felipe Zuluaga Giraldo and Lucas Pereira Concalves de Melo do a mad cap table act with lots of funny tumbling skills.

Winter wonderland is next with the return of the dancers leading up to Asia Medini and Dylan Medini performing superbly on roller skates. Josefina Oriozabala takes center stage in an aerial display while suspended only by her hair. Isabella and he father are finally united and this time she appreciates the gift of the bicycle, doing an extended riding display that is fascinating. Following her act a snowball fight breaks out with the cast throwing the cushy snowballs out into the audience. Chen-Ping Chen, Yu-ti Chang Yun Kuo and Ting-Chung Wang bring their skills with the Diabolo taking the act clear into the upper part of the audience as well as getting two volunteers on stage as part of the act.

The Father takes center stage with an Aerial Lamp act that is ingenious in its concept. The cast gathers with Santa Claus leading up to the final act. The same group that entertained us with the table antics return as Santa’s reindeer to do a masterful hoop diving act that gets better, more difficult and more dangerous as it progresses. It is done flawlessly.

This is a show that literally the entire family will love and will talk about it for years to come. You will be dazzled with the various acts and have a great laugh at all the comic antics that go on. See this show before it gets away.

The Cirque Du Soleil “’Twas The Night Before…” will be in the KeyBank State Theatre on Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio through December 15, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets go to http://www.playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000.