Joffrey’s “Nutcracker”: Distinctly Chicago And World-Class

By Sydney Milligan With Wes Hessel

The Joffrey’s new classic version of Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet continues to enthrall audiences young and old. Setting the time-honored tale amidst the 1893 World’s Fair is a bold and clever choice, so distinctly Chicagoan, and it works well in breathing new life into a production so many companies have performed before. The updated storyline is moved and expressed perfectly, making it more accessible, down-to-earth, and intriguing, especially to those of Windy City lineage or buffs of the city’s history.

The costumes are spectacular, period-appropriate frocks, suits, top hats, and coats, in an array of deep purple, blue, burgundy, and jade green hues that make you feel as if you have stepped back through time to Christmas Eve 1892, a time heady with the anticipation of the opening of the great exhibition. The lighting and projection design serves well to transport you into this fairy tale in its unique vintage setting. The scenic work is magnificent, notably in the transformation effects such as the Christmas tree growing to skyscraper size in the heroine’s dream, and works excellently to enhance the magic and mystery of the ballet’s setting context.

The choreography is world-class, as one would expect from this preeminent troupe, and one would be hard pressed to find athletes more graceful and talented presenting such a beautiful work, with its grand level of integrity. For tickets or more information on this or the Joffrey’s other great upcoming performances, please see www.joffrey.org.

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