The cast of “A Magical Cirque Christmas.” Photo by Matt Bishop.
“A Magical Cirque Christmas” was created by MagicSpace productions, a Utah-based company that spins out lyrical masterpieces of touring theater shows from literally nothing to gold on stages everywhere. This is an updated and new kind of “A Christmas Carol,” full of wonder, magic, thrilling acrobatics, hand-to-hand high flying artists, and Rola Bola high balancing masters.
Christopher Stoinev as the Guardian of Time (changer of seasons) is apprehensive about the end of this season. Who should pop by but the spunky and optimistic Christmas Fairy, played by Carissa Hendricks aka Lucy Darling, a star in her own right. She is a multi-talented magician with comedic timing and wit likened to a Vegas show and is enchanting as she captivates the audience with her interactions. The Christmas Fairy steals and mishandles the key which breaks in two and the clock of time stops ticking, so there is no time at all when Christmas comes. The Christmas Fairy manages to try the half key and she and the Guardian of Time are both sent into a fantastical journey to save Christmas.
Seeing is believing, and once you’ve seen this production, you will believe…a spectacular event and entertaining for the whole family…enthralling and warm…
Created by Steve Sprinkels, the video shown on the back wall was a large, spinning time clock, unraveling and encompassing the entire stage with eye popping clarity. In fact, all the video backdrops were just as creative and phenomenal. The lighting, designed by Tom Edwards, blends the tapestry of the show together—the hues and the synchronized effulgence were masterful. It feels as if you are swept away by the time spectrum, like a whirlwind roller coaster ride to a variety of ages—the roaring 1920s with all the style and grandeur of the Great Gatsby era; rockin’ round the clock and jitterbugging in the 1950s; the energetic dance music of the 1970s; and the grand Victorian era of the 1890s, with a dusting of Charles Dickens. If that did not take your breath away, the shows-within-this-show of high-flying acrobatics, juggling, unicycling, magic, a Cyr wheel, contortionist archery, and more certainly will. Seeing is believing, and once you’ve seen this production, you will believe. The costumes were authentic to the period—bold and flashy when it needed to be and demure, saucy, and sparkling, all sewn together by designer Adam Martin. Well done!
The Christmas Fairy, played by Carissa Hendrix aka Lucy Darling. Photo by Jon-Christian Ashby.
The Christmas Fairy/Hostess (Hendrix/Darling) is a seemingly bumbling klutz but had everyone fooled as she is a magnificently skilled magician, especially with sleight of hand. Jonathan Rinney, the unicyclist and Rola Bola balance specialist, stuns the audience with his mad cycle skills. We held our breaths as he balanced on objects, and we sat at the edges of our seats ready to have a spiritual kumbaya moment. Christopher Stoinev started slowly with his juggling act as he went from balls to pins, adding on more and more until there is a whirl in the air of pins and lights so fast that is was magical. Itzel Salvatierra and Scott Cooper did what is called a hand-to-hand duo which is a graceful ballet while hanging from bands from the ceiling. They made it look very easy. It was an artistic ballet in the sky as they intertwined around each other, matching the beauty of the song being sung as they performed. A Christmas song was chosen from each time period and sung by Audri Bartholomew during each of these unique performances. Her strong, pitch-perfect voice reached out to the back row and beyond. Her buoyant timber resonated to my very soul in every song, as if I was hearing it for the first time.
Director Louanne Madorma gets a standing ovation for orchestrating the cast and narrative seamlessly. The performers keep you on your toes as the story turns your disbelief to belief in time travel and excitedly asks…what’s next? Madorma manages to create a solid platform for this show and molds this diverse cast into one cohesive unit, aligned in creativity and mastery.
This fast-paced show is a spectacular event and entertaining for the whole family. Near the end, the pace slows down as the Christmas Fairy brings the cast on stage for her reading of the Cirque Christmas version of “The Night Before Christmas.” They gathered like children around her, excited to hear the story which was quite witty, thought-provoking, and touching. It explained that the show is about what is the most important gesture and the true spirit of Christmas. To me, it was summed up as spending time with family and friends; showing love and cheer; and sharing many hugs. “A Magical Cirque Christmas” was enthralling and warm, like a chestnut on a hot fire. It certainly got me into the Christmas spirit.
Running time: Approximately two hours including one 15-minute intermission.
“A Magical Cirque Christmas” ran through December 16-18, 2022 at the National Theater, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. For more information and tickets for upcoming productions, the Box Office is open Monday – Friday, 12:00-6:00 pm, call (202) 628-6161, or go online. Masks recommended.
