Interview With Cirque du Soleil’s EVAN TOMLINSON WEINTRAUB

Interview With Cirque du Soleil's EVAN TOMLINSON WEINTRAUB 1 Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Evan fell in love with acrobatics and performance at a young age. For the next 25 years, he would get himself on stage flipping and acting any chance he could.  In 2014, he graduated from the Theater department at Colgate University where he was the recipient of the Howard W. and Anne T. Pike Memorial Prize for extensive scholarship, daring originality, and exceptional commitment to the art of theater at Colgate.  In 2017, he graduated from École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, Canada, having completed three years of intensive circus training and performance.  Since then he has worked on both sides of the stage with internationally renowned companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Cirque Eloize, and GOP Varieté Theatre as well as smaller companies like Yonder Window Theatre Company, Quatuor Stomp, and MonLove Productions.

Acrobat Evan Tomlinson Weintraub discusses the return of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Twas the Night Before…to The Chicago Theatre (175 N. State Street) for 17 performances only from November 26 through December 5, 2021. For tickets and more information visit chicagotheatre.com/cirque

Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Evan fell in love with acrobatics and performance at a young age. For the next 25 years, he would get himself on stage flipping and acting any chance he could.  In 2014, he graduated from the Theater department at Colgate University where he was the recipient of the Howard W. and Anne T. Pike Memorial Prize for extensive scholarship, daring originality, and exceptional commitment to the art of theater at Colgate.  In 2017, he graduated from École Nationale de Cirque in Montreal, Canada, having completed three years of intensive circus training and performance.  Since then he has worked on both sides of the stage with internationally renowned companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Les 7 Doigts de la Main, Cirque Eloize, and GOP Varieté Theatre as well as smaller companies like Yonder Window Theatre Company, Quatuor Stomp, and MonLove Productions.

About Twas The Night Before…

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) and Cirque du Soleil are pleased to announce that the acclaimed family holiday theatrical – “‘Twas the Night Before…” by Cirque du Soleil – is returning to The Chicago Theatre (175 N. State Street) for 17 performances only from November 26 through December 5, 2021, prior to opening in New York at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden December 9.

“‘Twas the Night Before…,” Cirque du Soleil’s exhilarating spin on the beloved Christmas tale, is about the wonders of sharing and friendship. The production marks Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever Christmas show and is a flurry of Christmas cheer – rip-roaring fun with hugely lovable characters that will introduce audiences to the magic of Cirque du Soleil and help families create new holiday traditions.

The international cast features Roberto Alvarez Serrano (Spain), Lucas Gabriel Morales Bravo (Argentina), Sekou Camara (Guinea), Jean-Marc Giese (France), Quentin Greco (France) and Evan Tomlinson Weintraub (United States) performing Hoop Diving and Acrobatic Table; Alicia Beaudoin (Canada) performing Acrobatic Bicycle and as Isabella; Danila Bim (Brazil) performing Hair Suspension; Suren Bozyan (Russia) & Karyna Konchakivska (Ukraine) in Duo Straps; Ming-En Chen, Shuo-En Liao, Tsung-ying Lin, Hao Yu (Taiwan) performing Diabolo; Holler Zavatta & Kimberly Zavatta (Italy) performing Roller Skating; Miguel Gigosos Ronda (Spain) performing as Jolly Santa and clown; Masha Terentieva (Canada/Russia) performing Hotel Cart; Alexis Vigneault (Canada) as Father and performing Acrobatic Lamp; and Jenna Beltran, Carlo Darang, Shannon Kelly, Samuel Moore and Bianca Vallar (United States) along with Kalila Hermant (Belgium), as ensemble dancers.

The creative team consists of Manuel Bissonnette as Creative Director, James Hadley as Writer and Stage Director, Genevieve Lizotte as Set Designer and Artistic Director, Edesia Moreno Barata as Acrobatic Choreographer & Performance Designer, Vinh Nguyen/Kinjaz as Choreographer, Jean-Phi Goncalves as Musical Composer, James Lavoie as Costume Designer, Maryse Gosselin as Make-Up Designer, Nicolas Brion as Light Designer, and Paul Bisson as Sound Designer. The show is produced by Cirque du Soleil Executive Producer and Head of Creation Marie-Josee Adam and Chief Creative Officer Diane Quinn.

The critically acclaimed production of “‘Twas the Night Before…,” returns to The Chicago Theatre and Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden after debuting at both venues in 2019. The Chicago run sold more than 50,000 tickets, completely selling out its 17-show engagement, while the New York run sold out a whopping 25 performances.  Among the national buzz this holiday theatrical garnered:

“’Twas the Night Before… delivers terrific holiday entertainment that should delight children and adults alike.” – THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“The acrobats are all glamour and athleticism, the skaters all speed and daring.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Cirque du Soleil unwraps a happy new holiday gift for family audiences with its ‘Twas the Night Before…., a cheerful high-performance show.” – NEW YORK STAGE REVIEW

Tickets for “‘Twas the Night Before…” at The Chicago Theatre start at $30 and can be purchased online at www.chicagotheatre.com/cirque or at the Ticketmaster Box Office at The Chicago Theatre. Box office hours are Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Service charges apply to internet orders. For group sales, please call 212-465-6080. Accessible and companion seats are available via the Disabled Services Department at 888-609-7599.

The Chicago Theatre continues to operate in accordance with all government mandates, and current City of Chicago and State of Illinois guidelines require that all guests age 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in The Chicago Theatre, except while actively eating or drinking. Government mandates, venue protocols and event requirements are subject to change, so be sure to continue to check chicagotheatre.com/cirque for the latest information.

ABOUT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

‘Twas the Night Before… is the 49th original production of Cirque du Soleil. Originally composed of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque du Soleil completely reinvented circus arts and went on to become a world leader in live entertainment. Established in Montreal, the Canadian organization has brought wonder and delight to more than 200 million spectators in more than 450 cities in over 60 countries on six continents. Cirque du Soleil is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. For more information, visit cirquedusoleil.com

About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a leader in live entertainment. The Company presents or hosts a broad array of events in its diverse collection of venues: New York’s Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre. MSG Entertainment is also building a new state-of-the-art venue in Las Vegas, MSG Sphere at The Venetian. In addition, the Company features the original production – the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – and through Boston Calling Events, produces the Boston Calling Music Festival. The Company’s two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG+, deliver a wide range of live sports content and other programming. Also under the MSG Entertainment umbrella is Tao Group Hospitality, with entertainment dining and nightlife brands including: Tao, Marquee, Lavo, Beauty & Essex, Cathédrale, Hakkasan and Omnia. More information is available at www.msgentertainment.com.