There’s nothing like feeling the holiday spirit when you experience the sights and sounds of the season like:
Giant Christmas trees with thousands of lights…
Christmas songs on the radio…
Bright colors and sparkles on festive holiday clothing…
They all fill you with holiday cheer and one show here in Chicago captures these sights and sounds to make audiences feel the full spectrum of the holidays. Cirque Dreams HOLIDAZE at the Chicago Theatre puts on a modern-day circus with lots of holiday bling.
Cirque Dreams Brings the Holiday Circus to Town
HOLIDAZE is an event you can take the whole family to. The show is styled like a variety performance and includes theatrical acts meant to wow and amaze. As the curtain lifts from the stage, our eyes gaze over the winter wonderland with Christmas trees, piles of presents, and giant toy soldiers manning the stage. Soon our cast parades out in the opening number led by two winter queens decked out in tiaras and gowns, accompanied by an assortment of holiday characters.
The performances are varied so that no two are alike. There are aerialists who perform in a hoop that hangs and spins high above stage. Ribbon aerialists perform a number that almost feels like it belongs in a ballet as they move gracefully on stage and in the air. A pair roller-skates with the tricks and lifts you’d see in an ice skating performance. A juggler keeps adding more balls than we can count. And a penguin has us holding our breath as he climbs higher and higher atop a wobbly platform fighting to keep his balance.
Sparkles as Far as the Eye Can See
Besides the incredible acts and holiday tunes keeping us engaged, the sets and the costumes equally draw our eye. The Christmas tree standing at center stage drips with sparkles and icicles making it the perfect centerpiece for the show and an integral part of the set as characters climb atop it. The set changes for each performance— from an icy snowscape, to a gingerbread house and everything in between.
The costumes are eye-candy and feel like stores’ holiday window displays. With crazy colors, fabrics, textures, and sparkles, every costume is over-the-top! There are hoop skirts, stilts, even headpieces that look as though they’re ten feet wide. If the acts aren’t enough to keep your attention, everything else will.
Cirque Dreams HOLIDAZE is a good fit for families looking to have their kids rapt with attention at this circus style, over-the-top performance. And for those without young ones, it’s still a good fit . You will have a good time with the impressive feats and techno beats.
RECOMMENDED
When:
Now through December 16, 2018
Wednesday-Friday at 7:30pm
Saturday at 3:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday at 1:00pm and 5:00pm
Where:
Chicago Theatre
175 N State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
Tickets are available at The Chicago Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster locations, visit ticketmaster website or via phone at 1-800-745-3000
Photos: Courtesy of Cirque Dreams
About the Author
Alexis is a theater reviewer, travel bug, media specialist, and burger & beer enthusiast. During the day she works in the advertising business as a senior communications designer. When night falls, or when she can escape to New York, she’s hitting the theaters to see as many shows as she can. And whenever she’s not at her desk or in the audience, she’s out seeking the best burger and beer offerings in Chicago.
Editor's Note: Click here to read more Picture this Post articles by Alexis Bugajski
