The New York City Ballet is feeling a bit jealous of the Boston Ballet this season. And with good reason. The New York City Ballet's orchestra has gone on strike and the company has had to perform George Blanchine's version of The Nutcracker at the New York State Theater with a taped version of Tchaikovsky's legendary music. It is a sad season indeed for many die-hard New York Nutcracker fans who consider the ballet a holiday tradition. For a genuine Nutcracker experience, they might just have to head on up to Boston where they can watch the Ballet performed at the Wang Center by the Boston Ballet with a live orchestra...a novel concept.
The Boston Ballet's production of The Nutcracker is simply magical. From the moment that you enter the Wang Center, you are transported in another world. When you enter the lobby, one of the first things that greets you is a regal ten-foot Nutcracker soldier. On certain evenings, a live brass trio (from the New England Conservatory of Music) plays in the lobby as well. To add to the excitement, free Nutcracker pins are being distributed.
The Nutcracker, a classic ballet in two acts, is based on E.T.A. Hoffman's well-known fairytale. The story begins with young Clara and Fritz waiting for their Christmas Eve party to begin. The party starts and a sense of excitement is in the air as the children gather together. Clara and Fritz's godfather, Dr. Drosselmeyer, enters the party and Clara focuses her attention on this mysterious but loveable man. He soon presents her with a beautiful nutcracker toy soldier that Clara adores. In a fit of jealousy, Fritz takes the new toy from his sister and proceeds to break it.
Clara is clearly upset, but Dr. Drosselmeyer is able to fix the broken nutcracker. Later that evening, Clara steals away to the drawing room so that she can play with her new gift. All of a sudden, she finds the room completely filled with mice and toy soldiers led by a Nutcracker soldier. A battle is fought and the Nutcracker, with the aid of Clara, manages to defeat the mice. The Nutcracker then magically turns into a handsome prince who takes Clara to the Enchanted Forest, the Kingdom of the Snow Queen and King. In Act II, Clara and the Prince find their way to the Palace of Sweets, where the Sugarplum Fairy resides. There, the Prince tells the Sugarplum Fairy of their adventures. Impressed by his bravery, the Sugarplum Fairy honors them by holding a beautiful ceremony in Clara's honor. Exotic dancers perform for her and the Sugarplum Fairy ends the spectacular evening with a beautiful pas de deux by the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Clara and the Prince then board the balloon so that they can return home.
The Boston Ballet has been performing The Nutcracker since 1965. They revamped the production in 1995, adding new props, scenery, and costumes. Choreographer Daniel Pelzig revamped Act I of the production last year, placing more of an emphasis on developing the characters of Clara and Fritz as well as the peripheral characters. He also made the entire act flow more smoothly with dance. Artistic Director Anna-Marie Holmes made some changes to Act II last year and re-staged the Waltz of the Flowers and Spanish Dance.
All of these changes have apparently breathed new life into the production. The main characters' vibrant personalities shine through in the stellar choreography. Clara and Fritz are both adorable. Janine Ronayne, who plays Clara, possesses both grace, innocence, and dreaminess in her dancing. Dr. Drosselmeyer, played by Robert Underwood, is a great deal of fun to watch and has a large presence on stage. He and Clara have a kinetic chemistry and they are an exciting pair to watch.
The production is just bursting at the seams with creativity. It's almost as if the theater is more of a zoo, rather than the Wang Center. Fluffy brown bears, mice, gingerbread men, and little sheep abound. Little kids scamper around the stage with amazing grace and poise. Amazingly enough, over 400 children from the New England area are performing in the Ballet. There is a 16-foot Christmas tree (that eventually grows to a height of 40 feet) at Clara and Fritz's home that gives the Rockefeller Center tree a race for its money. During the Enchanted Forest scene, snow comes down, making one feel as if they are truly in a winter wonderland.
One of the highlights of the show is Tony Collin's performance as Mother Ginger. This Boston Ballet veteran has been delighting audiences in this role for 34 years. This is his last year performing this beloved role as a larger than life character who hides numerous children under her large hoop skirt. Collins has never missed a performance and obviously has a great deal of fun with the role. The audience loves him and he provides much-needed comic relief.
The second act is a feast for the eyes. Tchaikovsky's wonderful and scintillating music along with Pelzig and Bruce Mark's wonderful and inventive choreography make for an exciting combination. The Russian dance, though a bit slow, is especially fun to watch. The men in this dance get the audience so excited that they clapped along with them. The Chocolate dance, which features two men and a women doing Arabian dancing is sensuous and wonderful. And of course, the Grand Pas de Deux was breathtaking. Jennifer Gelfand and Paul Thrussell are an elegant and beautiful pair who work well together.
The Nutcracker truly captures the magic of the holiday season. Going to the Boston Ballet production is like indulging in a piece of Godiva chocolate. It is so delicious that one can hardly believe that the experience is real. The intricate and spectacular costumes, the larger than life scenery, the magical music, and the vision of the Boston Ballet is truly unique. And just like that piece of chocolate, you might just find yourself succumbing to temptation and coming back to the ballet for more. One can never have too much of The Nutcracker, that's for sure.
