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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.
The Nutcracker performed by the Eglevsky Ballet Company was fantastic! I was so impressed by the dancers, the costumes and choreography. If you are looking to see The Nutcracker this one is a must-see!
Loved the use of local talent and professional dancers. The props and scenery were magical! The best part was watching my young granddaughters watch the program; they were mesmerized!
It isn’t Christmas without the Nutcracker! This production gets better and better each year. Highly recommend.
Everyone needs to dee this great performance. Great dancers.
This show was adorable, impressive and entertaining all in one. The company dancers showed off their skills with synchronized sets as well as solos. The incorporation of kids was well placed to be endearing but not like you were at a recital for kids you don’t know. Loved the costumes, the atmosphere/venue. Overall, enjoyable and would see again.
From beginning to end, the dancers and choreography were wonderful. The story’s few modifications were appropriate to the ages of the performers. All the children involved were impressive in their abilities. Surely many of them will ultimately join adult companies across the country. The guest artists were superb. Definitely a plus to have Eglevsky here on Long Island!
My family and I enjoyed the performance at the lovely Lexington Oprah House. The dancers were divine and the sets fabulous.
I always look forward to the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker. Beautifully staged and performed!
The costumes were on point which told the story beautifully. My 6 year old granddaughter was enthralled with many aspects that she found delightful. The little mice being one, along with the Mouse King. Uncle Drosselmeyer and of course, Mother Ginger! It was very delightful and will become a yearly custom for our family.
I took a friend with me who is in her 70's and had never seen the Nutcracker. The performance was a delight and really set the mood for the holiday season. The guest dancers were outstanding, and the little kids were fun to watch. The sound was just right--clear and not too loud. We all had a very enjoyable evening.
The Chattanooga Symphony, Heritage High School Choir, and The Chattanooga Ballet Company make for a perfect recipe for rendition of The Nutcracker! One of my favorites each year! Tivoli Theater is a wonderful historic treasure! One suggestion I will make is for theater to abide by stricter rules during acts as do most other theaters do. There were many distractions as people continued to go back and forth from seat to the exit then back again during each act, many of whom were the same offenders. In most others theaters, you cannot re-enter unless it's during intermission showing respect of other patrons and the performers themselves.
Story line seemed disjointed and dancer were out of synch. The orchestra was superb
The Nutcracker performance was amazing!!!! It was a wonderful experience to watch such beautiful dancers on stage. All the characters were amazingly talented. Is a beautiful family tradition to watch every year.
We had such a nice time! The entire night is filled with beauty and classy style! The venue was beautiful and the costumes were gorgeous! The dancers were flawless and the night was the highlight of our Christmas season! This is something special not to be missed.
Nice show in the Lexington Kentucky. I want to watch it again!
Intimate theater, fabulous seats, incredibly beautiful costumes and superb performance. Highly recommend this rendition of the Nutcracker
Very good show. Loved it. Seating tip: don’t sit in the front row, especially with little kids. We had to strain our necks to see on stage and the littles could not see without standing. Choose seats about five rows back. The show was good though.
Parking was terrible - too far away and expensive ($13). First Act Costumes looked cheap along with the decor. Party scene choreography was really uninspired. Second act wasn’t much better - waltz of the flowers costumes were the ugliest I have ever seen. Children in the performance didn’t seem especially talented or very interested in being on stage. Very disappointed that almost all the dancers were foreign born. I wouldn’t recommend it and it LA Ballet should be embarrassed to put on such a sub-par version.
The show was well done, music and dancing were great. Despite this, we spent a large amount of the show on the verge of leaving. Between the very narrow seats, large amount of talking, and the chorus of sick people coughing non stop, we were hard pressed to enjoy the show.
So beautiful, you have to watch this timeless classic.