WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts' holiday offering this year is something truly special — Cirque du Soleil's "Twas the Night Before" brings magical storytelling and breathtaking acrobatics together in one unforgettable show.
I was given exclusive access during rehearsal to go places audiences never see: under the stage, on the stage, and even perched more than a story above it all. Cirque du Soleil's Artistic Director Ali Crawford took me on this special journey to show exactly what makes this holiday tale so captivating.
"It's a lovely story of a father and a daughter, and a daughter who's just on iPad. And he gives her a gift and she doesn't want to have anything to do with it because it's not electronic," Crawford said.
The show wraps around this heartfelt holiday tale with incredible performances. There are bicyclists, tumblers, performers sliding down ramps, and even an aerial artist that hangs by her hair.
When I asked Crawford about that particular act, she confirmed: "Hair."
"So, I can't participate in that right?" I asked.
She laughed and said, "No, you can't."
Roman, one of the performers, explained their aerial work: "We do an aerial dual aerial straps together."
During the performance, Roman takes flight high in the air, sprinkling snow as he twirls about. Another performer, Sara Knauer, described the experience perfectly.
"I feel like our whole lives is like one extended game of the floor is lava," Knauer said.
As they fly through the air like snowflakes, you watch them glide by at eye level from the special vantage point above the stage. But then comes the heart-stopping moment — she falls, drops down headed to the floor.
I screamed out loud in horror, which Crawford said was exactly the reaction I should have had. Then I clapped with delight as the performers executed the move flawlessly.
"That was perfect," Crawford said, laughing and clapping along.
So ditch the palm trees for snowflakes — "Twas the Night Before" runs through Nov. 30. The safest and cheapest way to get tickets is at Kravis.org. And no, I'm not actually joining the circus... at least not this year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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