Cirque du Soleil Brings Its First Holiday Show to Minneapolis

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Theater fans have the Guthrie Theater’s “A Christmas Carol,” rock fans have Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ballet fans have “The Nutcracker,” and now circus arts fans have a performance coming to the Twin Cities that will start a holiday tradition.

Cirque du Soleil’s “’Twas the Night Before…” runs Nov. 24-Dec. 3 at Northrop at the University of Minnesota. Based on the famous poem credited to Clement Clarke Moore titled “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” the work is better known for its first line, “’Twas the night before Christmas….” Surprisingly, it’s the famous circus performance group’s first holiday-themed show in its nearly 40-year history.

“There’s nothing else like it,” stage director James Hadley says. Cirque often brings its big-top productions to the area—think “Corteo” earlier this year—but Hadley explains “’Twas” is designed as a theatrical stage performance that “comes directly downtown to cities, giving the opportunity to be much more accessible.” The Christmas show first appeared in New York in 2019, was paused by the pandemic, but expanded from three productions across the United States last year to seven, including in Chicago, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis. “We were wonderfully overwhelmed by the response” after last year’s success, he says.

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“’Twas” focuses on a character named Isabella and her father, who have read the poem together every holiday. Hadley says research into the poem shows it’s the most well-known poem in the United States and so should resonate with many people. As part of the plot, Isabella has outgrown the tradition of reading it with her father and is more interested in her cellphone and other technology. The poem comes to life when a snowstorm separates the two, and, according to the show’s description, “they discover whimsical characters, acrobats, children, and reindeer who reunite father and daughter in the holiday spirit.” Each of the acrobatic acts—including hoop diving, roller skating, and hair suspension—is inspired by a specific line in the poem.

“Through the magic of storytelling, we transformed them with this tale, so she eventually finds the spirit of Christmas through their mutual love of this poem,” Hadley says. “The poem itself has some really beautiful imagery in it.”

The acrobatic skills required in the scenes sound visually stunning, as well. Cirque says the top speed of the roller-skating act, which is performed on a platform just 6 feet wide, is 30 mph. The strap duo act is performed 20 feet in the air, and the artist performing the hair suspension act—which is, as it sounds, an act performed while suspended by one’s hair—performs approximately 100 turns, spinning at seven turns per second.

Music plays an important part in the storytelling, too. Musical director Jean-Phi Goncalves features 41 pieces throughout the show, including reworkings of several holiday favorites like “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells.” As for the makeup and costumes, “it’s a pretty sparkly show,” Hadley adds. Cirque says 25 pots of glitter and 60 cans of color hair spray will be used during the Northrop run.

Hadley says one of his favorite scenes is inspired by a line in the poem that he didn’t appreciate until he started work on the production: “The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow /

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.” During that act, the father has almost given up hope. “It may be the most serious moment of the production, but also the most hopeful,” Hadley says. Overall, he describes the performance as “joyful and fun.”

The Cirque performances are presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust in partnership with Northrop. “Twin Cities arts organizations have a strong tradition of presenting holiday programs,” Northrop executive director Kari Schloner says. “Northrop was historically a large part of that tradition, hosting Loyce Houlton’s ‘Nutcracker Fantasy’ for decades.” This year, along with the 16 performances of ‘’Twas the Night Before…,’ Northrop will stage two performances of “Welcome Christmas,” co-presented with VocalEssence, and the cabaret-tinged drag performance “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.”

Photo by Dan Norman

Members of St. Paul-based Circus Juventas, a performing arts circus school, are also excited to see the renowned Cirque du Soleil returning to the region with a holiday performance. Hadley says no Circus Juventas students currently will perform in the Minnesota shows but they likely will include the students in master classes or other adjacent events. In fact, Rob Dawson, new executive director and coach for Circus Juventas, used to perform with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. He flew into the Twin Cities and helped the Circus Juventas’ rigging team while he was still with Cirque a few years ago. He plans to attend a performance or two but also will be getting ready to lead his new students in their own holiday production, “A Hygge Holiday,” Dec. 8-10 and 15-17.

“We definitely take inspiration from Cirque du Soleil,” Dawson says. “[Both productions] show the magic of the holiday season. We have some magical creatures that come to life, as well, and there’s some crossover for sure.”

That means Minnesota audiences have not one but two new holiday performances to add to their family tradition. Hadley adds that he is, meanwhile, thinking about the next show he may develop—and Halloween seems like the perfect fit.