‘Holidaze’ turns IU Auditorium into winter wonderland

Santa, snowmen, icemen and elves — a blizzard has hit the IU Auditorium, leaving a sparking winter wonderland behind.

Cirque Productions will present the second night of their holiday show Cirque Dreams “Holidaze” today.

The company produces visually stimulating and family-oriented shows by combining Broadway theater, ballet and other performance genres.

“Holidaze” is a blend of mesmerizing acrobatics and beautiful art, Auditorium Events Manager Maria Talbert said. Acrobats dazzled the crowd with seemingly-impossible feats while five vocalists sang over holiday-friendly backing tracks. Donning shimmering, festive costumes, the performers whirled around the stage in a swirl of color.

“It really draws you in,” said Indianapolis resident Sally Gleabes, who attended the show Tuesday. “Even the people who are not doing acrobatics are wearing colorful, amazing costumes.”

The music ranged from traditional songs, such as “Silent Night,” to jazzier numbers about holiday shopping and the economic madness of the recession.

A ‘sugarplum’ version of the “Oompa Loompa Song,” was featured as well, possibly confirming the audience’s suspicion that the orange-skinned, green-haired elves snuck away from Wonka’s chocolate factory.

The background scenery included giant candy canes, 30 feet tall toy soldiers and a magical Christmas tree.

The production boasts a cast of more than 30 performers, hailing from Ethiopia, Netherlands, Uzbekistan, China and even Ohio. 

“We saw Cirque Du Soleil in Sydney so we thought we would come and check ‘Holidaze’ out,” attendee Sharon Nowell said. Nowell and her husband brought their granddaughters Emmy and Claire to Tuesday’s show for their first circus. 

The show is the first of a new holiday series at the auditorium. Following it will be “Chimes of Christmas” on Dec. 8 and “The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller” on Dec. 17. 

“Chimes of Christmas” is IU’s annual, traditional Christmas show. It is performed by the Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers, who Pandora.com users might stumble across while listening to holiday music, Talbert said.

The series will wrap up with “The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller.” The show might sound foreign to many people, but its music is played in heavy rotation in department stores far and wide during the holiday season, Talbert said.

“This year’s shows are a combination of what is available and what we thought the audience would like to see,” Talbert said.

“Steamroller” will be nontraditional in a similar vein to “Holidaze,” including jazz renditions of familiar Christmas songs with modern lighting and video effects.

Talbert said she thinks people will leave the “Holidaze” show feeling as if they spent a well-deserved night at the auditorium.

“It is not only beautiful artistically, but awe-inspiring physically,” she said. “Everyone who has come to these Cirque Dreams shows leaves the building practically floating on air.”