“Cirque Dreams Holidaze”

[rating=3]The “Holiday”  season is a great time for family fun, and while many prefer outdoor activities, like skating, I think families who attend the theater together will have some fond memories in years to come. For many years we were able to head out to Rosemont for the spectacular Rockettes and their Christmas/Holiday show. This is long gone and as a replacement, we are treated to “Cirque Dreams Holidaze”, a combination story telling with feats that one would expect under the tent at a Cirque show. It is called “Performance Art”!

The show is now on the stage of the Chicago Theatre, a landmark, underused venue that I would love to see utilized for more performances of actual theater. The story line is Christmas for sure as we wake up the season with visions and dreams. The stage is filled with beauty (Jon Craine) and the technical aspects of the show are a delight. The songs that were written for the show are by Jill Winters and David Scott with many holiday songs we know ( “Jingle Bell Rock”, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and “Winter Wonderland”) and while the story is on the weak side, most of the audience members are more interested in the actual acts and feats they witness during the 2 1/2 hours of magic.

Speaking of magic, one of my favorite parts of this production is the Fashionistas (Mariachiaria Scarabelli and  Sergia Chmara) who do the quick change in a cloth circle that is absolutely amazing. I watched very closely and could not see how this could be done, but they do it with grace and style. The show is composed of the usual circus performances one expects in a “Cirque” show- the silks, the balancing, the tightrope, spinning and in between some very Christmas stuff. Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, I found that some of the “stuff” going on while the talented circus performers were doing their thing was distracting. I am sure there is a reason for this, such as keeping the little ones eyes busy ( should something go wrong), but the kids behind me missed some of the action as their eyes wandered off to watch the characters moving back and forth on the stage.

One of the things that I always marvel at when I see a Cirque performance is where the talent comes from. There are 30 cast members listed. They are from Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Spain, Ecuador, Latvia ,Poland and seven from the USA. While the story line is a bit weak and there are many little parts of the show I found distracting, I think for the price of the ticket, the family will truly have an experience to remember and probably some questions on the trip home.

The Penguin, Victor Dodonov, who does a number titled “Higher” where he does the board balancing on round objects is fun to watch. The penguins with their waddle back and forth is done more than needed and distracted us from the true artistry of what Mr. Dodonov does. The singers are: Anthony Klein, Melody Lieberman, Alexandra Doman and Michael C. Brown ( all of the USA) Solid vocal ranges.

This show was created back in 2006 and has played Chicago in the past, but this production is different so if you did see it, you did not see this one. If you have plans to go into the city or to see this production, you only have until the 16th ( why come to town for a short run when we still have a week for Christmas break?).

Performance schedule:

Thursday  7:30 p.m.

Friday  7:30 p.m.

Saturday  11 am, 3p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday  1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Tickets range from $25-$125 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster- www.ticketmaster.com

or by calling 312-462-6300

The Chicago Theatre is located at 175 N. State Street ( at Lake). I suggest taking the Red Line as it is up the stairs and you are there- no hassle, and then take a walk down State Street and see some of the lights and excitement of “The Loop”

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Cirque Dreams Holidaze”.