I think this was the best Nutcracker I have seen!
by 5she5 on 12/13/16The Orpheum Theatre Memphis - MemphisRating: 5 out of 5Totally awsome! Took my 8 year old granddaughter and she was on the edge of her seat the entire time. All smiles!
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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.
VERY NICE
by BRETT68 on 12/13/16BJCC Concert Hall - BirminghamRating: 5 out of 5It's been 40 years since I have seen The Nutcracker Ballet in Birmingham. The ballet performers were all absolutely amazing! The stage design and props were visually stunning. Definitely worth seeing again!
Nutcracker was Amazing!
by FirstTimeOpera on 12/13/16Lexington Opera House - LexingtonRating: 5 out of 5Loved this production!!!! This was my first show at the Lexington Opera. Oh my, the talent!
The Nutcracker
by Kianas29 on 12/13/16Adler Theatre - DavenportRating: 4 out of 5Although my daughter and I have been to many productions of the Nutcracker at the Adler and will continue to go, the set seemed much smaller this year and the first act was very drawn out. There wasn't much humor and the couple dancers had a lot of stage time which seemed much different than past years. There were new dance numbers thrown in that didn't seem to fit the theme of the show. The 2nd act was amazing...
- by Anonymous on 12/13/16Adler Theatre - DavenportRating: 5 out of 5
My 9 year old daughter and I have been going for 3 years. We both have a great time and she's building a great Nutcracker statue collection.
Nutcracker
by Anonymous on 12/13/16Michigan Theater - Ann ArborRating: 2 out of 5Very disappointed, would not recommend to others.!
Mesmerising!
by whooocaresaboutanickname on 12/13/16Peoria Civic Center - PeoriaRating: 5 out of 5Absolutely perfect. I would have added some real trees onto the stage though.
Cute
by Anonymous on 12/13/16California Theatre of the Performing Arts - San BernardinoRating: 4 out of 5The ballet was memorable, the set and costumes were great. the Ballet was the cutest I've seen with the young cast and the preschoolers involved. they were the hit of the show
Great night out.
by Cableman101 on 12/13/16Lexington Opera House - LexingtonRating: 4 out of 5Hadn't seen this since my youngest was a part of it years ago. The older performers were amazing. The younger ones struggled a bit but we're still cute. Seemed a little disconnected between premise of Act I and Act II, but still enjoyable and happy to support local arts.
- by Anonymous on 12/13/16Spreckels Theatre - San DiegoRating: 5 out of 5
Best Nutcracker in San Diego! Highly recommend going!
Worth it
by Saanwi on 12/13/16Scranton Cultural Center - ScrantonRating: 4 out of 5I really enjoyed this production and was thrilled and surprised to see how diversified the cast was. The performances were well rehearsed and the adults were professional. It was great!
Nutcracker was amazing
by DebbieB123 on 12/13/16The Peabody Daytona Beach - Daytona BeachRating: 5 out of 5This was truly awesome experience of a classic. My granddaughter and I enjoyed it. New performers and set changes,made it magical. Looking forward to next year. Every child will truly love it. A must see
Terribly Dissapointing
by Merosado on 12/13/16California Theatre of the Performing Arts - San BernardinoRating: 1 out of 5I'm so upset this event was even listed on Ticketmaster. The show was high school quality AT BEST. The dancers were less than amateurs, they looked like they were regular people off of the street. The costumes were nice but the performance itself was difficult to watch because of all the mistakes and lack of synchrony. The acting was also REALLY bad. It was awkward at times to watch. I will NEVER watch a show from this balet production again and I've very disappointed at ticketmaster for publicizin this event. When I went to the manager to kindly ask for a refund because I felt deceived by the way this show was marketed (there was nothing professional about this show) he told me to go back in to sit down and watch the second half. Worst show experience I have ever had.
Awesome!
by MNM1011 on 12/13/16Peoria Civic Center - PeoriaRating: 5 out of 5I really had no desire to ever see the Nutcracker, but our granddaughter wanted to see it so I reluctantly bought tickets and trudged to the Civic Center to see it. I figured if I could handle a colonoscopy surely I could handle this. Much to my extreme surprise and delight...I loved it! The music, the dancing, the costumes...all combined to create magic on stage! I found myself entranced for the whole performance!
The Nutcracker by the Scranton Civic Ballet
by Scooby1204 on 12/13/16Scranton Cultural Center - ScrantonRating: 5 out of 5The performance was wonderful to see. I would definitely go again next year. The dancers were excellent!
Great show
by Bill4568515348415231 on 12/13/16Genesee Theatre - WaukeganRating: 5 out of 5The ballet was great. It was my wife and I's first ballet so the no speech through me at first but by the end you could just feel the holiday joy. Again my first so I cant speak to the technical stand but nobody fell down. : )
Ballet Well Performed!
by Sherrydw on 12/13/16BJCC Concert Hall - BirminghamRating: 4 out of 5I truly enjoyed the performance. The actors were very good. You could easily understand what they might have said without speaking. Their facial expression and hand and body jesters really made the performance real. The dancing was beautiful. I look forward to seeing it again next year.
Enjoyable
by VickieMac on 12/13/16The Orpheum Theatre Memphis - MemphisRating: 4 out of 5This wasn't my first time to see The Nutcracker at the Orpheum Theatre, and it won't be my last. The dancers are amazing! The only reason I am giving a 4 instead of a 5 is because we had someone who was sick sitting near us and coughed the entire time and a young baby behind us that cried loudly through the first act. Other than that it was fantastic!
Peoria Ballet-The Nutcracker was beautifully done!
by AsGrandma on 12/13/16Peoria Civic Center - PeoriaRating: 4 out of 5This was the 3rd year in a row that I have gone and taken my two granddaughters. They are 11 and 8. This was the first year the 8 year old stayed awake during the whole performance! My older granddaughter and I were talking after the show and both of us felt the 1st act was different from the last two years (which they do change scenery and dramatization from year to year) with more colorful scenery and life like drama. However, the second act seemed less colorful and joyful than we were getting used to. As always, though, the performers were excellent and exciting to watch. We will definitely be back for next years performance!
The Nutcracker Ballet
by ebecker19 on 12/13/16Scranton Cultural Center - ScrantonRating: 4 out of 5It was very well done. The soloists were very good. Our granddaughter was enthralled.