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The Nutcracker On Tour
Every adaptation of The Nutcracker is the same, yet each The Nutcracker is different from all others. Although it premiered in Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre on December 18, 1892, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker wouldn't become the dependably magical holiday-season reaffirmation of Christmas joy we know and love until decades later.
Marius Petipa, who commissioned Tchaikovsky's music, and Lev Ivanov originally choreographed the world's most popular ballet. It was loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' The Story of a Nutcracker, the French writer's adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which was a fantastical story by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Mourning the recent death of his sister, Tchaikovsky was often unhappy while composing the work, which he nonetheless imbued with some of his most enduringly gorgeous music. (The descending melody in the adagio section of the "Grand Pas de Deux" is said to reflect his feelings.)
Russian ballet was flourishing at the time The Nutcracker debuted, and no expense was spared. In Petipa's production, 60 snowflakes wore long white tutus and matching crowns adorned with fluff balls. The battle scene's soldiers, meanwhile, were recruited from a military academy rather than ballet school, leading to a less-than-elegant confrontation.
The Nutcracker was fated to become more popular abroad than in its birthplace, and was subsequently tailored to suit its new audiences. Encouraged by local Russian émigrés, Willam Christensen mounted the first full American production in San Francisco in 1944. Ten years later, George Balanchine choreographed a landmark version for the New York City Ballet, imbuing it with what Nutcracker Nation author Jennifer Fisher calls its "familial feeling." Balanchine's version was broadcast on national television a few years later with narration by June Lockhart (of Lassie fame).
While nearly every subsequent version of The Nutcracker contains falling snow, fighting mice, dancing candy, and a growing tree (asked to produce it without the tree, Balanchine reportedly replied, "No, the ballet is the tree"), some intriguing mutations have emerged. These include Nutcrackers on ice, the animated adaptation Walt Disney included in the 1940 movie Fantasia, and The Harlem Nutcracker, a swinging jazz revision by choreographer Donald Byrd.
A remarkably resilient blend of complex classical ballet, popular imagery, and holiday nostalgia, The Nutcracker has taken on a life of its own since it first appeared one cold Russian winter over 100 years ago.
We loved watching this production of the Nutcracker! The dancers, set and costume design were magnificent. It was thoroughly entertaining! We will definitely be back next year ❤️
I bought good pricey seats, even though reviews on this theater were saying every seat were good. In fact both my daughter and I had tall people in front of us, and as the inclination of the floor is very little, we spent the whole ballet turning right and left, and missing part of the scene. Other than that, the ballet was nice, and the theater itself is gorgeous.
I haven't seen "The Nutcracker" live in many years, so this was a rare treat for me. The performance was lovely - mostly traditional, but with some differences. One surprising difference was at the end of the dance of the snowflakes, when Drosselmeyer arrived with Clara's and the Nutcracker's ride, instead of pulling a sleigh, he sailed in with a hot-air balloon (whose balloon was an upside-down ornament. Nice touch!). A very refreshing difference was that the children's cast (and there were a lot of them!) was very diverse. They were also very talented. Two of them really stood out for me. The first is the young black girl dancing the part of Marie (I have been unable to find out her name). She is amazing! I don't think she's even in her teens yet, and not only is she already dancing on pointe, she's doing it really well! Barring injuries, that girl has a bright future ahead of her. The other child who really made an impression on me was the littlest gumdrop/candy child. I don't know how old he is - he can't have been much more than two feet tall - but he can sure do cartwheels! And he had the sass, too - he was really cute. The adult cast was less diverse; in fact, almost all the ones I saw were white. Still, it gives me heart to see so much diversity among the younger generation. Overall, the performance was good, but I was more impressed by the performances of the children than those of the adults. The Paramount Theater is beautiful inside. I hadn't been in there before, so that was another treat. I had mixed feelings about my fellow audience members. On one hand, the small children in attendance (I really shouldn't have been surprised by how many there were at a matinee, but I was - I had completely failed to think of it) were surprisingly well-behaved. Some of the adults, however, were not so well-behaved. They whooped, yelled, and whistled after almost every dance (or part of one). Perhaps I'm being classist (in which case, please forgive me; I'm trying to do better), but I'm used to an outing at the ballet being a rather more dignified affair. Rock concerts are something else entirely; not only am I used to hearing those kinds of reactions at a rock show, I'm often one of the people doing it. I just was completely unprepared for it at the ballet. Anyway, all in all, I had a very good time, and I'm looking forward to when I can sneak another such outing into the budget.
I always have a nice time. The ushers are quite knowledgeable and hard working.
Wonderful performance. The costumes we’re phenomenal. The dancers are highly talented. This was my first ballet but definitely not my last.
The Oakland Ballet does a wonderful job performing The Nutcracker. So enjoyable to watch such talent! Puts you right in the Christmas spirit.
The company did an excellent job with a very talented cast. I am used to larger venues with larger budgets for costumes. But I was very impressed with the level of detail throughout the performance. I would highly recommend to anyone and look forward to attending future performances. This is a gem in a small city.
As always the Nutcracker was a wonderful holiday tradition for our family! We will continue this tradition for years to come!
So nice to see At Christmas! Brought the whole family love Spreckels
The experience was great! My daughter was sitting until the end . The whole show was amazing, specially the dancers and the garments ! Overall, I love the show and I can recommend to anybody.
The Memphis Ballet did not disappoint. What a phenomenal display of talent, artistry and beauty. Moved to tears. Such a lovely time at The Nutcracker. We will be sure to make this an annual event.
From costuming to choreography, set design to venue - this show was spectacular. What these young people present on stage is so inspiring - the future of dance is in good hands!
Good overall experience, the theater never disappoints. The performance was a little too lengthy
Paid WAY too much for this show. Thought it was going to be better with more talent. Very disappointed.
It was amazing!! This is turning out to be an annual event with my daughters and we’ve decided we’re going to collect a Nutcracker each time we go!
The William Saroyan theater is an excellent venue. Great seats, very comfortable. The Nutcracker Ballet was excellent with quite a bit of local talent along with the professional dancers.
Every year we come to see this it is always an amazing experience! The company's that NJPAC bring in are always magnificent ! Choreography, costumes, casting has ALWAYS been truly fantastic! This year's performance had fantastic energy! Looking forward to next year's performance already!
I have attended 20 years of Nutcracker performances. This one was one of my all time favorites. Costumes were exquisite, backdrops were beautiful and choreography was classic and elegant. I was extremely impressed with the dancers... so together and professional. Well done Greenville Ballet. Thank you!
Took my granddaughters and they loved it. Such a beautiful atmosphere and the ballet was incredible.
It was my fault. I didn't realize this was a local production. The Moscow Nutcracker was much better.