The circus is back in town, and for kids of all ages (including mine), it's still a lot of fun. Cirque Dreams Holidaze opened an eight-day run at the Fox last night, and was crisp, professional and entertaining, very good if not great, and providing an excellent opportunity for a family outing at the holiday season.
Cirque Dreams, not to be confused with Cirque de Soleil, was created by Neil Goldberg, who had built a successful organization that provided entertainment for corporate functions. He expanded to a theatrical format for casinos, conventions, theme parks, even cruise ships. There are five different shows on the road now.
Holidaze has a Christmas theme, of course, and some wonderful costumes by Lenora Taylor and Santiago Rojo. Tumblers, aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, contortionists, wire walkers all look great and perform as stylishly as they look. About a dozen nations are represented in the international cast, which filled the Fox stage with a little help from trees, Christmas balls, gift-wrapped boxes and other items to remind us of the season.
Many scenes simply gleam with joy. Marcello Balestracci, as the Bell Conductor, leads four audience members in a delightful and very funny exercise in bell-ringing, and Andriy Ishchenko is a delight as the Baby Elf. Four Ethiopians–Tewodros Ayana, Angesom Bishiou, Tekle Gebregziabher and Firtuna Gebremedhin–show up as Gingerbread Cookies and do some amazing feats of balance. Marque Ohmes and his wife, Rebecca, are spinning Aerial Angels, twirling with graceful, adventurous swoops and glides.
Bing Long and Jun Long are Chinese twins and contortionists, twisting their lithe bodies into a variety of shapes and containers and emerging from the other side. Molly Murcia and Rebecca Starr, as an act called "Lyralicious," provide some wonderful spins, lifts and twirls within a giant ring, and to fill in quiet spots, there are remarkable jugglers and rope jumpers.
The music is passable; if you go home humming, you'll be humming the scenery. Goldberg and his assistant, Heather Hoffman, do good work with the choreography, and the performers are talented and eager. Good fun at the Fox.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze opened last night at the Fox Theatre and will run through Dec. 29.
—Joe