“Holiday Dreams” Wraps Up Christmas Season at GSR

The Christmas Show, Holiday Dreams, came to life in Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort with nine shows, concluding with tonight’s (December 30) performance. This was a great family show, perfect for the holidays. It was filled with music and visuals derived from many Christmas traditions. The show was a blend of comedy, song, and world class cirque style performers. Acts included a high wire performance, a quick change artist, the giant spinning wheel, juggling, aerial straps, and much more. Some acts were extremely dangerous.

The show began with a woman dressed in holiday finery lighting a projection of a fireplace and telling a Christmas story. In the middle of this an audience member answers his phone, interrupting her. As he is telling somebody to take him off their call list he and the performer get in a bit if a dispute with each other over his rudeness. 

These two, as it turns out, are the host and hostess of the show, and the gentleman is the comedy relief all evening long (his name is Archibald Poopenpaunz III – mispronounced as Poop-in-pants). Between most acts, Mr Poopenpaunz, comes out and juggles, plays tricks, and pulls people out of the audience to get involved in his shenanigans up on stage. She ultimately brings him up on stage to introduce him to her magical friends, and the show begins.

All of the performers were splendid. From balancing acts to high wire, everybody was great at what they did. The most dangerous of the acts was the Giant Spinning Wheel. This has two large wheels at each end of a spinning arm that each hold a person who runs and jumps and even climbs to the outside of the wheel as it spins in circles dangerously fast.

All in all it was a wonderful evening of family entertainment that is better shared with pictures than words. Please take a moment to enjoy the photos included here. They tell the story better than I can in writing.