“Cirque de la Noel” coming to the California Theater December 17

The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra will return to the California Theatre on December 17 for “Cirque de la Noel,” a holiday concert featuring the internationally-acclaimed Cirque de la Symphonie performing group.

Cirque de la Symphonie will add an additional level of festive artistry through awe inspiring performances by their renowned aerialists, jugglers, hula hoop and cyr wheel experts and quick change artists all choreographed to a variety of music mindfully spanning the holiday orchestral repertoire. Established by ballet and circus veteran Alexander Streltsov in 1998 for a special PBS production with the Cincinnati Pops, Cirque, troupe members originate from across the globe.

“We are so pleased to once again collaborate with Cirque as they brought such joy to everyone in attendance when they last performed with us in February of 2020,” said Symphony Executive Director Dr. Anne Viricel, adding, “I am certain this festive concert will inspire many happy family memories.”

The evening’s offerings will include traditional American holiday fare like Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival” (1950) and “Sleigh Ride” (1948), and Leon Jessell’s “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” (1933), to new arrangements of old favorites like Carmen Dragon’s 2012 reimagining of “Deck the Halls,” to contemporary compositions like Jeff Tyzik’s 1994 Chanukah Suite.

Beloved cinematic scores will also find their way into this celebratory evening, including John Williams’ “Flight to Neverland” from Hook, Alan Silvestri’s “The Suite from Polar Express,” and Howard Blake’s “Walking in the Air” from the 1982 animated film, The Snowman based on Raymond Briggs’ 1978 children’s book of the same name.

Classical masterpieces including “Waltz of the Flowers” and “Trepak” (Russian Dance) from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker will be performed, along with “Dance of the Buffoons” from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden and Georges Bizet’s L”Arlesienne Suite No.2 from Alphonse Daudet’s drama of the same name.

Single tickets are available online at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org or by calling the box office at (909) 381-5388. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets are $30 – $100 with students and active military for $15. The availability of tickets cannot be guaranteed on concert night.

The California Theatre is located at 562 W. Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino. Free, lighted parking is available directly across from the venue.