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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.
Such a beautiful production! You can tell that a lot of time and preparation went into creating such a professional production. The level of talent was remarkable. It's a must see!
The ballet was perfect, Memphis Symphony Orchestra was perfect! We were in the lower gallery of the Mezzanine at the Orpheum/Memphis and it was hot! No air stirring at all. Other than that it was a great night!
The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse is a beautiful theater that put on a great show. I love this venue and event.
We thoroughly enjoyed the new choreography this year as well as the new costumes! The Russian and Snow were fabulous and Pax de deux was amazing. With that being said, there are still quite a few significant areas that need to be addressed. The young boys in the opening act, and the large angel scene needed much work, or needed cast members cut. Having to pay a significant amount of money for these tickets, I was not expecting to attend a recital, which those parts in the show felt like. Perhaps being more selective about dancers in the future will up the quality of a lovely hometown production.
Loved the performance and the music! My only concern was the buying of tickets. It was not easy trying to figure out how to buy tickets as there were different places online to purchase and different prices. Very confusing!
The ballet company did a wonderful job on their interpretation of the classic Nutcracker ballet. My girls LOVED it! They are in dance and had a wonderful time looking at the dancers' perfect techniques. The venue was also majestic. We also liked that they had two dancers available for pictures before the show. Unfortunately, there were two women allowed to enter after the performance began. They were 30 minutes late and of course, they sat right in front of us!! In addition, they didn't have the manners to take off their hats!
We go to this Nutcracker every year. It never disappoints
Everything about the production was excellent. From the dancers, costumes, scenery, special effects & wonderful orchestra. There is nothing negative I can say about it. Couldn’t ask for more. Even the parking & getting to our seats was no hassle. Brought my 8 year old granddaughter, we both loved it.
Never went to a ballet. It was interesting but could not completely follow. Dancers were graceful and enjoyable
The dancers were not in sync. My artistically inclined children became bored quickly. We left after 1/2 the show. Not worth the price.
Amazing performance. The dancing and costumes were superb.
Everything was top notch, absolutely loved it. Felt like a New York play.
Music and performance were excellent. Well worth the price. Recommend!
The Venue was great. Had excellent view of stage. Totally enjoyed the Performance. Would visit again.
Loved the Nutcracker ..everyone did a great job .what a wondetful way to start the holiday
As they say, you get what you pay for, this presentation of the Nutcracker was a watered-down version of the ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Despite the superb and talented Ukraine ballet dancers, the production set was nothing more than two painted curtain backdrops flanked by large speakers pumping out Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. Missing from the set, a Christmas tree and a young Clara. This was not a production for kids, as my 6 year-old daughter started to loose interest by the second act. The Colden Auditorium seems to be more suited for a science lecture, and not a ballet. Very disappointed evening.
Interesting interpretation. Very talented dancers. Would have preferred to pass on the 4 curtain calls per lead or lead group - seemed like they needed a pat on the back or some sort of positive encouragement to boost their fragile egos.
You need to have more parking and location information included with the tickets. There's more than 1 theater on the huge campus
Never been before and thought it would be wonderful... was disappointed
Very enjoyable performance in a beautiful historic building