![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Nutcracker: a review
Nov. 27th, 2009 09:58 pmI just got home from watching a performance of The Nutcracker with my parents. (To my surprise, Dad was the one who came up with the idea.) We had a great time. Tchaikovsky is my favorite classical composer and the last time I saw Nutcracker I was around 10 years old, just barely old enough to sit still through it and laugh at the boys in tights. (I still laugh at the boys in tights.)
If you ever do attend a performance of this ballet, it's important to keep in mind that this is a good show for people-watching in the audience. Due to the nature of the storyline, a good portion of the audience is made up of little girls in party dresses. Some of the other watchers annoyed me. I'm not sure if this is something to do mainly with American audiences but we have a tendency to start clapping and hollering at the slightest pause in the music. During this show, it was every time one of the dancers did something especially amazing. I'm all for applauding them, but it kills the mood! (I went into mental "Old Lady" mode: "Darn kids, shut up! I'm trying to listen to the music! And while you're at it, get off my lawn!")
Because of the storyline, a good portion of the cast is made up of children and teenagers. They were terrific, even the smallest ones. How great must it be to perform in such a well-known ballet when you're so little! The adults were amazing, too. Looking through my booklet, I'd say about half the cast plays more than one role. The costumes are wonderful, especially once you get to the part where the characters are representing candies and other treats. (I ended up making hot chocolate soon after getting home.) The dancing rats do look silly, but what can you do? I adore the music; it's some of the only Christmas music that I can listen to at any time of the year. I can't even begin to pick out a favorite song.
I was reminded how important it is to pay attention to everything that's happening on the stage, not just the main dancers. One of my favorite parts is during the party scene in Act I, when the maid drags Uncle Drosselmeyer off behind the Christmas tree for kissing. He tries to escape several times but she just pulls him back.
Trying to find the names of specific dances, I found this website, that covers everything involved in Nutcracker. It looks like a good place to go if you don't know much about this ballet.
If you ever do attend a performance of this ballet, it's important to keep in mind that this is a good show for people-watching in the audience. Due to the nature of the storyline, a good portion of the audience is made up of little girls in party dresses. Some of the other watchers annoyed me. I'm not sure if this is something to do mainly with American audiences but we have a tendency to start clapping and hollering at the slightest pause in the music. During this show, it was every time one of the dancers did something especially amazing. I'm all for applauding them, but it kills the mood! (I went into mental "Old Lady" mode: "Darn kids, shut up! I'm trying to listen to the music! And while you're at it, get off my lawn!")
Because of the storyline, a good portion of the cast is made up of children and teenagers. They were terrific, even the smallest ones. How great must it be to perform in such a well-known ballet when you're so little! The adults were amazing, too. Looking through my booklet, I'd say about half the cast plays more than one role. The costumes are wonderful, especially once you get to the part where the characters are representing candies and other treats. (I ended up making hot chocolate soon after getting home.) The dancing rats do look silly, but what can you do? I adore the music; it's some of the only Christmas music that I can listen to at any time of the year. I can't even begin to pick out a favorite song.
I was reminded how important it is to pay attention to everything that's happening on the stage, not just the main dancers. One of my favorite parts is during the party scene in Act I, when the maid drags Uncle Drosselmeyer off behind the Christmas tree for kissing. He tries to escape several times but she just pulls him back.
Trying to find the names of specific dances, I found this website, that covers everything involved in Nutcracker. It looks like a good place to go if you don't know much about this ballet.
