“MOTHER GINGER” KNOWS BEST
An audience member might be surprised when this bizarre character creation in recent productions of THE NUTCRACKER lifts “her” skirt in the Kingdom of Sweets onstage during the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) production playing now in Orange County’s Segerstrom Hall thru December 19. The moment counts as one of many in Alexei Ratmansky’s version of this revered classical ballet surely guaranteed to astonish families making the annual pilgrimage in order to dip their toes in the magic and wonderment that this ballet engenders during the Christmas season (especially this particular season).
Of course, if you treasure THE NUTCRACKER from year to year on a variety of stages, you already know that the story, characters and stagings often differ from one production to another. Who is “Drosselmeyer”, for example…an uncle, a toymaker, a magician, or a godfather? Or for that matter, is “Clara” a child with an active imagination, a princess or a “Sugar Plum Fairy”? What is a constant, though, is Tchaikovsky’s ravishing score featuring gems such as “Waltz of the Snowflakes”, ”Waltz of the Flowers” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” (a part of the brilliant Grande Pas de Deux for the Cavalier and the Princess). One is sure to recognize the strains of these evocative melodies whether played on a piano or by an orchestra the likes of the Pacific Symphony as is the case with this production.
This Choreographer, a journeyman from the famed Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow (now ABT’s Artist-In-Residence), decided to fashion the ballet with the focus of a young girl who sees herself evolving into an adult princess ballerina. That provides inspiration for choices in his staging, but also presents opportunities for the principal dancers to embrace the youthful energy and “joie de vivre” in their own performances. And that they do! Both Hee Seo and Cory Stearns more than meet the moment. In fact, “sympatico” captures the essence of their pairing. The ballerina embodies delicacy in her every gesture and floats through the air – a wisp of suredness and beauty as in the journey of a hummingbird. By her side, the Cavalier (or Prince if you will) evokes the stalwart nature of a gallant partner – devoted, powerful and resolute while willing to hoist her to the heights where she belongs (and does so – actually – with several thrilling lifts in his repertoire ever at the ready).
Yes, Mr. Ratmansky plugs in quite a few alterations to the traditional retelling of the original E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fantastical story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, but his artistic concept dictated these changes. Notably, his addition of the kitchen scene as the ballet opens sets the tone for the playful adventures to come and humanizes the Stahlbaum household as well. Not only that, the larger role for the mice excited the youngsters in the audience as evidenced by their shrieks of hilarity. And the youngest mouse deserves singular acclaim; he’s (or she’s) a funmeister for sure!
Another significant change involved the tone of the Land of the Snow experience for Clara and the young Prince. The snowfall in this version gradually becomes more threatening to the youngsters and the Corps de Ballet become one with the ever worsening chaotic conditions threatening the duo on their journey. Ultimately, Drosselmeyer arrives on the scene with a sleigh to guide the terrified duo to a new land before intermission just as the Snowflakes… (Sorry, no spoiler here.)
That is not to say that all of the alterations proved successful. For example, this critic found the revised role for the Sugar Plum Fairy to be totally unsatisfying. Likewise, the opening choreography for Act II seemed confusing and a bit stultifying for my taste.
Bravo for the international dances in the Kingdom of Sweets (or Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy) which were a tribute to the daring exploits of Clara. All of them boasted unique treats which resulted in sugary excess. Count this guy a fan of the Arabian dance with its eventual descent into bedlam as the harem of four ladies turns the table on their bald-pated companion. In addition, the Chinese duo’s verve positively frolicked….almost with a Vaudeville flair (thinking George M. Cohan with a mandarin bent). Less folksy were the Cossacks of Russia and that may not be a disappointment given their antics. Certainly the Spanish couples met expectations, too. Only the sisters involved in the marzipan segment appeared to be underwhelming.
“The “Waltz of the Flowers” blossomed with this choreographer’s vision. Oh, and the addition of the four spirited, tuxedoed bees enlivened this dance in an extraordinary way. The audience certainly celebrated the tossing of each and every “flower” by these guys who, by the way, were sporting some amusing, dangling stingers. These danseurs created quite the buzz!
Deserving of accolades are the children in this production as well. Clara, Fritz and the Nutcracker toy-turned-young Prince lead the way with disciplined performances. The “Galop”, as executed by the children’s ensemble, registered charming as well.
As for the technical credits, Jennifer Tipton, as always, delivers crisp lighting accents, shadowy effects and affability in high doses. In the same vein, Richard Hudson absolutely nails the costume design elements, yet falls short on a few scenic chores including the evolution of Christmas decor in the Stahlbaum home and some disappointing framing aspects of the Kingdom of Sweets, too.
The Pacific Symphony, under the baton of ABT Music Director Ormsby Wilkins on Opening Night, explored the intricacies of Tchaikovsky’s musical score in support of the dancers. Precision and purity of sound ruled the evening’s musical through-line. Consequently, the audience offered rapturous applause for the musicians’ enormous contributions when the Conductor joined the dancers at “Bows”.
The child in all of us deserves to annually bear witness to the beauty of THE NUTCRACKER. In this professional iteration, a rotating roster of ABT stars will lead future performances of this ballet classic, reviving Christmas cheer while demonstrating the expertise of one of the world’s greatest ballet companies. Costa Mesa can certainly be proud to host the American Ballet Theatre once again. Be advised, friends, “Mother Ginger“ promises a bevy of surprises along the way!
pc: Gene Schiavone & Doug Gifford
