When Cirque Productions founder and artistic director Neil Goldberg first proposed a touring family-friendly holiday stage show, some of his theater colleagues were skeptical.
Now in its 10th season, “Cirque Dreams Holidaze” has two national tours with one of those companies stopping at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet on Dec. 13.
“I always loved the holiday season,” said Goldberg via phone from Orlando, Florida, while on the way to the airport to help kick off the tour in Providence, Rhode Island.
“I like the sparkle of it. I like the imagination of it. I like the remembrance of childhood experience and spending time together, but the business aspect of it didn’t make sense — to invest $1.5 million into a production that goes out for six weeks.
“For me, it’s never been about the finances. It’s always been about passion. When we did the first year of ‘Cirque Dreams Holidaze,’ there weren’t a lot of holiday productions out there. Some cities had local companies that would do ‘The Nutcracker.’
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“My goal has always been to bring quality around the country. Everybody doesn’t always have the opportunity to get on a plane to go to New York or Las Vegas so we created ‘Cirque Dreams Holidaze.’ It was obviously met with great response.”
“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” features more than 300 costumes, 20 acts, singers, original music, seasonal favorites, acrobatics, gravity-defying feats, production numbers and illusions.
“There’s 30 artists in the cast. They come from about 10 different countries,” said Goldberg, citing Canada, China, Ethiopia, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Ukraine as among the places of origin for the performers.
“We scour the planet for some of the most unique, creative, amazing artistry in the world. We take their skills. We elevate them. We tailor them so they fit the theme of the scene. There’s 22 scenes in the show. Every one of the scenes will tell another story of the holiday season.
“We touch on Thanksgiving. We touch on the new year. We touch on Christmas. The shows have toy soldiers that are walking on wires across the stage. There’s anything that you can think of — buying gifts, wrapping presents, ribbons flying through the air, angels flying through the audience.
“It’s just action-packed from beginning to end.”
“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” was partly inspired by Goldberg’s ornament collection, which he started at age 8 and which now totals approximately 10,000 pieces.
“Some people collect T-shirts and hats and magnets. When I travel, my thing’s been ornaments. I’ve been privileged to travel the world and have authentic Faberge ornaments from St. Petersburg in Russia and five-and-dime ornaments,” said Goldberg, who noted that he is Jewish.
“The interesting thing about ornaments is imagining what somebody was thinking when they chose the colors and design, the concept and shape. There’s an imaginative, dreamlike sense to every ornament whether it’s a simple candy cane or something that sparkles and glistens.”
Cirque Productions (www.cirqueproductions.com) is headquartered at the 25,000-square-foot production facility Dream Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida. More than 50 million people have attended Cirque Dreams brand shows in more than 350 U.S. cities and 20 countries.
Year-round shows include “Cirque Dreams Epicurean,” “Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy” and “Cirque Dreams & Steam” in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line. Meanwhile, “Cirque Dreams Unwrapped” continues performing in partnership with Marriott Hotels and Gaylord Palms Resort in Florida.
“It’s a combination of our musical theater Broadway theatrics, circus style and imagination,” said Goldberg about what sets Cirque Dreams shows apart from other cirque or circus productions.
“We’re geared toward family. There’s not a lot of shows out there where you can span so many generations.”
Goldberg said it is important for him to make sure “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” which also airs as a made-for-PBS TV special throughout the country, is affordable.
“I want Mom and Dad to be able to bring their kids and bring the rest of the family,” he said.
“For kids, it’s a kaleidoscope of color. For people that love musical theater, there’s production numbers and live singing with traditional songs and original songs. For people who come to see a show with the word ‘cirque’ in it, there’s people flying through the air. We check all of those boxes.
“It’s a really unique experience for families to enjoy at a time of year when families should spend time together.”
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
‘Cirque Dreams Holidaze’
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13
Where: Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E. Van Buren St., Joliet
Tickets: $33.50; $58.50; $78.50
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