A Cirque du Soleil Christmas Dream: ‘Twas the Night Before…Sparkles at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center December 20-30, 2025!

It’s the holidays, and this year, things are different. For years, Isabella and her father have read “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” “Twas the Night Before Christmas” together. But this year Isabella feels like she’s outgrown the family tradition. But then the magic of the poem comes to life, and Isabella and her father are unexpectedly separated by a snowstorm that sends them on a fantastical journey. In a winter wonderland inspired by the poem, they discover whimsical characters, acrobats, children and reindeer who reunite father and daughter in the holiday spirit.

Costumes Cirque du Soleil prides itself on its long-standing practice of carefully hand-crafting its costumes. The Santa Claus costume is completely handmade. 52 different costumes are used in the show, including eight reindeer costumes. These require 125 different fabrics and materials, and 2,000 sequins per costume. And, of course, because it’s a holiday themed show, lots of pompoms.

As with every Cirque du Soleil show, bringing colorful characters onstage requires the Makeup and Hair department to deliver its best. ‘Twas the Night Before… called for 13 makeup concepts to be designed and applied. This requires 25 pots of glitter and 60 cans of color hair spray to be used during the show’s run. 340 make-up brushes are used every night, and each artist will apply their makeup using between 11 to 24 different products. Makeup and hair also include wigs and hats: 10 wigs and eight hats with reindeer antlers, and 22 beanies/knitted wool hats (which Canadians proudly call “tuques.”)

‘Twas the Night Before… requires less cast and crew than some of the company’s larger touring and permanent productions. THERE ARE 16 MEN AND 10 WOMEN IN EACH CAST, FROM 14 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE SHOW REQUIRES A TOURING CREW OF 17 SUPPORT STAFF. Production ‘Twas the Night Before… requires 800 man-hours to load in 100 tons of equipment, and 200 for the load out. If all the cables in the show were connected in one line, it would extend five miles. Acrobatics Stats Statistics reveal the extent of the acrobatic skills displayed in ‘Twas the Night Before: • The top speed reached in the Roller Skate number is 30 mph. It is performed on a platform 6 feet in diameter, weighing 250 pounds. • Eight diabolos are used simultaneously in the Diabolo act, and they reach a speed of 20 turns per second. • The Strap Duo act is performed 20 feet in the air. • The artist performing the Hair Suspension act performs approximately 100 turns. At top speed, she spins at seven turns per second. Her hair can withstand 250 lbs. of pressure. • In the Hoop Diving number, the highest hoop is set at 10 feet, and the smallest hoop is 18 inches in diameter.

Props and Stage Design Producing a holiday themed show puts special requirements on the Props department. The largest snowball measures three feet in diameter. Music Jean-Phi Goncalves is the Composer and Musical Director of ‘Twas the Night Before…, in collaboration with Paul Bisson. The show features 41 pieces of music throughout – 29 of them original. He also revisited 12 famous holiday songs, including Jingles Bells, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, and more. The result is a unique blend of the kind of musical signature audiences expect from Cirque du Soleil with the familiar, celebrated tunes beloved by so many.

Characters: ISABELLA Isabella is a young girl who loves everything trendy and new. She’s reached an age where she’s no longer excited about the joy of the holidays. She takes her family for granted and has no patience for her father and his attempts to connect. THE FATHER Isabella’s Dad is frustrated that his once close relationship with his daughter has been disrupted by smart phones and social media. He hopes the magic of Clement Moore’s famous poem will reawaken her passion for the holidays. JOLLY Jolly is a colourful and comedic free spirit who becomes Isabella’s guide. His kindness and humour are true beacons of the human spirit. Only at the very end is his identity revealed – he’s Santa Claus! LES TUQUES Les Tuques are filled with the energy, color and playful spirit of the holidays. They move our story along with high-energy urban dance, until we find out that they are actually Santa’s elves! AVA Ava is a spoiled starlet, always used to getting her own way. She shows no gratitude for all the attention and gifts she receives. However, when she decides to share a gift with Isabella, she’s overcome with the holiday spirit and soars above the stage!

Each of the acts performed in ‘Twas the Night Before… is inspired by separate lines from Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” Straps Duo An aerial performance about the poetic beauty of snow, inspired by: “As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky’’

The high-energy and hilarious Acro Table act was inspired by this well-known passage: “The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads’’ Like all children on holiday, their anticipation for Santa’s arrival keeps them up as they perform a high energy and hilarious acrobatic act, making a ruckus on and off their bed, when suddenly, they’re interrupted by the sound of reindeer hooves on the roof which sends them straight back under the covers!

The Hotel Cart act, in which a spoiled starlet named Ava discards her toys, finds its roots in this part of the poem: “A wink of her eye! A twist of her head! With a sleigh full of toys’’.

Winter Wonderland: “When what to my wondering eyes did appear!” In our show, there is a magical light that transforms our world into the scenes of a bright winter day. Roller Skates “Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!” In this Winter Wonderland, a young couple skates on a frozen lake. Isabella watches as their increasing virtuosity and daring prove their trust in one another… and their love.

Hair Suspension Act: “And laying her finger aside of her nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney she rose;” Into twilight’s darkening sky, a twinkling silhouette rises from the earth. This mystical figure reminds Isabella of the present her father gave her and of her love of home.

Isabella’s number: Father and daughter re-united at last, he offers Isabella her gift once more. This time she sees it through very different eyes! Inspired by all she has seen on her journey, Isabella rediscovers the light of the holiday spirit, embracing her gift in an act of joy and gratitude, encouraged by all those who have guided her along the way. Snowball Fight “When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter!!” A mischievous kid starts a snowball fight that grows and grows and OVERFLOWS into the audience!

Diabolo Act: Another act inspired by the description of Santa Claus in the poem: “His eyes – how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!’’ On a frosty winter night, four young boys appear in their sparkling puffy coats. They pass the holiday spirit between them with their glowing diabolos. Two audience members are brought up onstage to join the fun!

Aerial Lamp Act: Alone in the moonlight, disheartened by his inability to find his daughter, Isabella’s father regains faith through the spirit of the poem expressed here: “The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, gave a lustre of midday to objects below’’

Hoop Diving: Reunited at last, Isabella’s father once again opens the book. Together, they read the lines that introduce Santa’s reindeer…. our hoop divers, whose playful energy seems to leap straight from the concluding section of the poem: “More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet! On Cupid! On Donner! and Blitzen!’’ Santa’s team of reindeer literally jump through hoops to celebrate the reunion of Isabella and her dad. Each one shows off his ability to fly through the air when their name is called. Everyone is welcome at these ‘reindeer games’!

Finale With Jolly revealed as Santa Claus, the cast gathers to wish everyone: Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

In this shimmering snow-globe universe, Isabella encounters a cast of unforgettable Cirque characters: Jolly, the comedic free spirit whose kindness and humor gently guide her forward; the vibrant Les Tuques, whose urban dance energy turns the stage into a blizzard of color; the glittering starlet Ava, who discovers generosity for the very first time; and of course, Santa’s reindeer—spirited hoop-diving athletes who bound across the stage with joyful abandon.

As always, Cirque du Soleil’s craftsmanship is nothing short of extraordinary.
The show features:

• 52 handcrafted costumes, including eight reindeer ensembles that each contain 2,000 sequins
• 13 makeup concepts, applied nightly with 25 pots of glitter and 60 cans of color spray
• A touring cast and crew representing 14 countries, bringing global artistry to the stage
• Acrobatic feats such as hair suspension spinning at seven turns per second, roller-skating that reaches 30 mph, and diabolo performances swirling at 20 turns per second

Even the props feel enchanted: three-foot snowballs, glowing aerial lamps, and a platform that transforms into a frozen lake for a breathtaking skating duet.

The musical score—featuring 41 pieces, including 29 originals—reimagines beloved holiday classics with Cirque’s signature cinematic flair. Familiar melodies shimmer with new warmth as Isabella’s heart reopens to the beauty she once overlooked.

By the finale, Jolly reveals his true identity—Santa Claus himself—and Isabella rediscovers the wonder her father hoped she’d find again. Their reunion is tender, triumphant, and lit with the glow of the season. As the cast gathers to wish the audience “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” the theatre feels suspended in pure holiday magic.

Twas the Night Before…by Cirque du Soleil  plays at the Kravis Center from November 20-30, 2025. Tickets are available now at
https://www.kravis.org/events/twas-the-night-before/
or by calling the Box Office at (561) 832-7469.