“The Nutcracker” - Ballet BC

Alberta Ballet & Ballet British Columbia
Queen Elizabeth Theatre,
Vancouver B.C.

Alyssa Stevens “Clara”

Friday December 23, 2003
Run: December 23, 24, 26, 27 2003

MUSIC Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky
CHOREOGRAPHY Mikko Nissinen
COSTUME DESIGN Paul Daigle
SCENERY & PROPERTIES DESIGN Roger La Voie
LIGHTING DESIGN Pierre Lavoie

Frau Silberhaus Nicole Caron
Herr Silberhaus Christopher E. Anderson
Clara Alyssa Stevens
Fritz Raelynn Happell
Uncle Patrick Canny
Nutcracker Prince Hokuto Kodama
Mouse King Kelly McKinlay
Sugar Plum Fairy Sandrine Cassini
Snow Queen Simone Orlando
Spanish Dancers Alexis Maragozis, Michael Vallencourt, Lorin Mathis
Arabian Dancers Sabrina Christina Matthews, Patrick Canny
Chinese Dancers Courtney Richardson, Nathan Griswold
Pastorale Mariko Kida, Nicole Caron, Igor Chornovol
Russian Christopher Gray, Mao Ye

By: Mirela Djokic + son, David

“The Nutcracker” is always a joy to see, for adults and kids alike. The music is beautiful and now so famous, that even the most disciplined theatre-goers cannot help but hum the tunes once in a while during the performance.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra delivered a wonderful performance, introducing us into the story with the powerful accents to be repeated throughout the piece.

The story is simple. “Clara” and “Fritz’s” parents host a Christmas party for family and friends (Germany, 1886). Their “Uncle Drosselmeier” presents “Clara” with a “Nutcracker”, handsomely dressed as a soldier. “Fritz” gets very jealous and in wrestling with Clara, it smashes on the floor. The Uncle tried to mend it. After the party was over, in the middle of the night, Clara takes the Nutcracker and falls asleep on the sofa. She enters the world where the “Nutcracker” is a handsome young prince who takes her to the “Land of Sweets”, after fighting the “Mouse King” army. She enjoys beautiful dances – the vibrant Spanish, the sensual Arabian, the playful Chinese, the joyous “Russian” and the romantic “Pastorale”. “The Prince” and the” Sugar Plum Fairy” danced a beautiful pas de deux. There was a wonderful snow scene, with snowflakes gently falling onto the stage transforming it to a magical, quiet land where love and goodness permeate everything. The dream slowly fades and “Clara” awakens in the living room with the “Nutcracker” by her side.

The major roles were played very well, in particular the “Young Prince” and the “Sugar Plum Fairy”. Not once did they receive applause from the audience, but “The Arabian Dancers” and “Spanish Dancers”, as well as the “Russian Dancers”, gave a wonderful performance too.

The stage was attractive, although the colours were too bright for architectural details. Under particular lighting, they looked almost kitschy.

I enjoyed seeing well-designed costumes, particularly for the dancers in the “Land of the Sweets”.

The choreography was superb, except perhaps for the battle scene, when it all looked a bit chaotic – too many simultaneous explosions and points of clashes on a small stage.

The overall experience was wonderful.