“The Nutcracker” by Joffrey – Magical, Iconic, Breathtaking
By D’Arcy Mies With Wes Hessel
Their version is set in Chicago in December 1892, five months before the opening of the Columbian Exposition of 1893. The music and basic story remain the familiar classics, but with a creative local historical twist. Projected images of the Exposition, newspaper headlines of the day, and so on, bring the audience up to speed of that legendary event, when Chicago hosted a hugely popular World’s Fair that drew patrons from all over the country and participants from across the globe.
The revelers in the Christmas party scene are immigrant workers, craftsmen, and their families. Clara and her naughty, Nutcracker stealing brother Fritz are the children of a sculptor, presumably a poor widow. Uncle/Herr Drosselmeyer is the handsome and mysterious Impresario of the Fair, The Ratcatcher is the Rat King, and the eponymous nutcracker appears as an assistant to The Impresario. During the bash, the director comes to bestow gifts to his laborers as they celebrate with lively folk dances. Delightfully, a few musicians perform onstage during this scene as part of the shindig.
The ballet uses a combination of physical effects, along with lighting and projections to set the stage. A particularly clever effect takes place during the party. Rather than life-size clockwork dolls, the so-amazing-it-defies-belief entertainment during the party is instead supplied by a “magic lantern” type display where shadow-puppetry creates a mystical vision of what the Fair will look like upon completion. To me this is also a tribute to the ingenuity, creativity, and artistry of the immigrant artisans, who’s story is also being brought into the light here.
The color scheme is more muted (think sepia-toned photos) than the typical Christmas show. Even later when we move into the magical land of the “Dream Exposition” (taking the place of the traditional land of sweets), the color scheme is more candy-pastels than the crimson and emerald we often associate with Christmas.
The overnight fight between toy soldiers and rats is properly daring and comedic, with strong dancing and a bit of puppetry fun. The snowflake ballet that closes act one is sublime, with the ringing, swirling, chiming chorale, some of the prettiest choreography, and real falling snow. How could anyone not be utterly delighted? This gorgeous, glittery scene is exactly what every little girl pictures when she begs her mommy for ballet lessons.
The second half find Clara and the Nutcracker Prince as guests of honor in the “Dream Fair”, where they are treated to many ethnic dances from the different pavilions. Magically, the “pavilions” come to them, instead of vice-versa via some clever staging (the dancers from each group enter through free-standing doors). So, for instance, when the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show hoops and hollers their way out, they enter through swinging saloon doors and then lasso their way around the stage. The Arabian Pair, one of my favorite numbers, smolders and swirls like incense smoke, and the Chinese Dragon is jaunty and spritely. Motifs include circles within circles, a reference to the Ferris wheel, a recognizable symbol of Chicago both now and then, as it debuted at the Columbian Exposition.
The final moments in Dream Fair-land were so amazingly joyous, I felt like my heart would burst. The close of the ballet ends with, as to be expected, a romantic happy ending, but with a slightly modern and mature take. This ballet delighted me, even having seen multiple productions of The Nutcracker in my lifetime, as much as it did my companion, who had never attended a ballet before and really didn’t know what to expect. This Chicago Christmas classic only runs until December 27th, so hurry to get your tickets for this enchanting exposition at www.joffrey.org.
Category: Articles, Community News, In Case You Missed It, Open Forum, Opinions, This and That, Uncategorized
