Cirque de Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…’ Is True Family Holiday Fare

December 3, 2022 michaelhoban2 Comments

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…’ at the Boch Center

‘‘Twas the Night Before…’ – Conceived and Directed by James Hadley. Production by Cirque de Soleil at Boch Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston through December 11.

by Shelley A. Sackett

‘Twas the Night Before…, Cirque de Soleil’s first Christmas show, delivered a sunny holiday respite from the blinding rain last Wednesday night. But the 85-minute intermission-less show was more than just shelter from the storm — it was a family-friendly retelling of the familiar Christmas classic with all the thrill, glitz, and mind-boggling contortions that have become Cirque de Soleil trademarks.

The lighting, set design and costumes were nothing to sneeze at, either.

Cirque du Soleil ‘Twas the Night Before…’ is a Holiday Blast of Pure Fun

December 2, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…’

‘Twas the Night Before…’ – Conceived and directed by James Hadley. Production by Cirque du Soleil. At Boch Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston through Dec. 11.

If you’re looking for an alternative to the myriad of (sometimes unrecognizable) adaptations of A Christmas Carol to rev up your holiday spirit, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining way to do so than grabbing a ticket to Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…. The production is Cirque’s first-ever Christmas-themed show, which debuted back in the pre-COVID days of 2019 at the Chicago Theatre. Inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem ‘A Visit From Saint Nicholas’, ‘Twas uses the iconic work as the launching pad for their trademark acrobatics and other circus arts, producing more “oohs and ahhs” than a Fourth of July fireworks display, along with some thoroughly entertaining dance and comedy bits.

Cirque du Soleil Celebrates a Stunning Return to Boston with “Crystal”

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Michael Cox

The 42nd original show from this live entertainment leader since it’s inception in 1984, Crystal is a high-energy ice ballet, featuring light comedy, music, dance and the signature high-flying acrobatics that defines what the circus has become in this day and age.

Sure, we’ve lost the lions, the elephants, the freaks, the geeks and the ring master that wrangles all these things together. No problem, we have the essentials — the greatest of acrobats and the most charming of clowns. Those two things have kept this institution charging into the 21st Century.

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ Breathes Joyous Life into Clown’s Funereal Dream

June 21, 2019June 10, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Corteo’ at the Agganis Arena

Corteo – Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca. Presented by Cirque du Soleil at the Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston through June 11

by Mike Hoban

“I dreamt of my funeral,” says Mauro the clown in the opening minutes of Corteo, this year’s Boston touring show from Cirque du Soleil, now playing at Boston University’s Agganis Arena. Originally staged in 2005, Corteo takes us inside Mauro’s wildly imaginative dream of his own funeral, as acted out by his fellow circus performers. Mauro is sent off to the great beyond with the help of clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and of course, a legion of angels. All of this action is accompanied by an eclectic score, ranging from mini-concertos to rock to Klezmer music, and if this is what the sendoff to the afterlife looks like – Lawdy, come take me now.