Venue
David H. Koch Theater
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David H. Koch Theater
Lineup
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Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
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The Englert Theatre
Lineup
Venue
Sunrise Theatre
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David H. Koch Theater
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Weinberg Center For The Arts
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The Englert Theatre
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H-E-B Performance Hall
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Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre
Lineup
Venue
Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
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War Memorial Opera House
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David H. Koch Theater
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Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center
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Weinberg Center For The Arts
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.
The performers did an amazing job. Definately worth seeing. You could tell there was alit of hard work anf dedication put into the routine, dance, lifts. Just wow. The wife and i give it a 10 out of 10.
I loved the Nutcracker ballet at the Temple Theatre this year. I try to attend every year, and once again I was not disappointed!! At least not with the dancers, the crowd, on the other hand, was terrible! They rarely applauded, and when the dancers delivered high jumps, extended pirouettes, and other extremely challenging feats, the audience offered no reaction or appreciation. It was an awful crowd, and I felt for the dancers who were out there working hard to deliver an amazing show. I will most likely attend again next year, and I hope the crowd will be more receptive to the amazing work of the International Ballet.
The beauty of the cast and their talent was magical. The little children were adorable! The theatre was lovely and the staff very friendly.
This was the first performance I've seen of The Nutcracker in decades and it was such an incredibly strong performance. I saw the ballet in NYC performed by a professional company and this was so close it was amazing. The performance by Central PA Youth Ballet "students"is truly professional and breath taking. The Hershey Theater is a lovely venue and I hope the ballet returns in two years after the renovations are complete. We will definitely come back to the CPYB performance. The only thing that would improve this is a program. They are selling them but for a casual attendee, a simple online version with the acts and performer names would be very helpful. $10 is not reasonable for someone who doesn't want a "keepsake"printed version. The other difference to professional performances is the lack of an orchestra. The music is recorded which makes perfect sense and does not detract from the performance. I didn't miss it but think it's worth noting in a review.
This is our second time within 5 years that we've seen this production of the Nutcracker with the talented performers at CPYB. This show exceeded our expectations in a live performance. Thank you for delighting our souls and providing a beautiful experience. The talent was exceptional, the service was professional and courteous, and we had a lovely time ushering in the holiday. We look forward to more shows!
The cast was wonderful especially the ballet dancers, JPAS did a fantastic performance
Unbelievable talent for such a young cast. A show you can take your family to enjoy and not have to worry about inappropriate content! Wonderful live orchestra! Truley a Gem for all ages!
Wonderful performance. The dancing and music were outstanding. Great experience!
This performance was amazing! JPAC hosts the best performances. The dancers were breathtaking, the stage and props transported me to another place. The Orchestra was the final touch that made the entire event magical.
I’ve been bringing my family to this Nutcracker for a decade, and more keep coming. Although every year is wonderful, this year was nothing short of magical. The absolute best performance. Bravo!