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‘Tis the month before Christmas and here comes “Twas the Night Before...
,” a holiday-themed Cirque du Soleil circus spectacular that has been around for five years but has never played Connecticut before. It plays Nov. 30 through Dec.
8 at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford , a venue that has never previously hosted a Cirque du Soleil event. “Twas the Night” was launched as a single tour in 2019 and was instantly popular, though its momentum was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It returned in 2021 and did so well that a second tour was added, then a third and now a fourth — all happening in the U.
S. or Canada between late November and early January. The Wallingford engagement is the show’s first time in Connecticut.
The closest it has come before is New York City last year. When Cirque du Soleil first gained international renown in the 1980s, most of its shows were made to travel the world. When characters spoke at all, they spoke in gibberish or invented languages.
There were no ringmasters introducing acts or proclaiming how stupendous they were. The shows had original music scores. Cirque du Soleil developed its own performance style where the performers were united through central themes and design choices: For “Ovo,” returning to Hartford in March, the theme is insects.
Over time, some of those early rules got bent or broken. Shows were built around pop hits by superstars like The Beatles and Michael Jackson or movies like the “Avatar” series. The clown hosts occasionally spoke English.
General concepts sometimes tightened into stories. “Twas the Night Before..
.” is a very American-styled Cirque du Soleil show. It is based on Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem “A Visit from St.
Nicholas.” First published in 1823, it begins “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” Each circus act in the show is inspired by something in the poem.
There is also a dramatic framework involving a father and daughter spending the holiday together. Santa Claus plays a role. There are dancing elves and, of course, there are reindeer.
Some of the musical score is original, but Jen Donohoo, the show’s touring artistic director, said “of 41 pieces of music in the show, 20 are familiar Christmas songs.” The music is a pre-recorded soundtrack that accompanies the acrobatic acts, but Donohoo said some sound effects are done live. Like all Cirque du Soleil events, “Twas the Night Before.
..” features acrobats, aerialists, clowns, jugglers and speciality acts such as roller skating.
The aerial acts range from a duo strap routine to the suspended cage-like contraption known in the trade as a “hotel cart.” Keeping all the pieces moving — onstage and on tour — is a big job. When you say someone who’s part of a Cirque du Soleil show wears a lot of hats, you’re usually talking about a clown or acrobat who has a lot of costume changes.
When it’s Donohoo, you’re talking about figurative hats. Her job blends elements of producing, directing, tour management, stage management and quality control. To use another circus metaphor, she’s juggling a lot of tasks.
“I love all my skills,” said Donohoo. “With this project there are four touring artistic directors, one for each tour. We do the training in Montreal, working with all the artists, going over the cues and the staging and everything else.
” Cirque du Soleil has its international headquarters in Montreal in a huge building that includes rehearsal studio, design departments, conference rooms and more. Before “Twas the Night Before..
.” went on tour, Donohoo had to prepare all the aspects of the journey at an office in Montreal. The Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford hasn’t hosted a Cirque du Soleil show before.
The tours usually either happen in Hartford at the XL Center or in the company’s own big top tents on Market Street in Hartford. Some tours also visit Bridgeport’s Total Mortgage Arena. “Wallingford is on track with what we need” to present “Twas the Night Before.
..” in all in glory while still maintaining some degree of intimacy, Donohoo said.
The Oakdale has a deep, wide stage area and a seating capacity that may match some of the large venues Cirque du Soleil typically plays but in an environment that’s more like a theater than a sports arena. “We need to be able to translate the show to different spaces, while making sure every stage feels the same,” Donohoo said. Such transformations require some Christmas magic, and “Twas the Night Before.
..” is loaded with it.
“Twas the Night Before...
” runs Nov. 29 through Dec. 8 at the Oakdale Theatre, 95 S.
Turnpike Road, Wallingford. Performances are Nov. 29 at 4 and 7:30 p.
m., Nov. 30 at 1, 4 and 7:30 p.
m., Dec. 1 at noon, 3 and 6 p.
m., Dec. 4-6 at 7:30 p.
m., Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.
m. and Dec. 8 at noon, 3 and 6 p.
m. $53-$259.30.
concerts.livenation.com .
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