The Nutcracker - Performance Review - City Ballet of San Diego

Lights! Color! Action! City Ballet of San Diego's Nutcracker had all three and then some.

Nutcracker is a difficult ballet to present. It needs to tell a story but more than that it has to be magical. Magic often has a dark side and occasionally productions have been tempted to play that card, but since this ballet is generally performed during the holiday season it also has to fit in with the festive atmosphere that the audience is seeking. Few seek out a psychodrama which leaves the viewer in tears at this time of year. On the practical side, for the modern ballet company it is much more than a story and magic - it usually produces the major revenue of the performing season while at the same time it is a huge investment of time and resources for a company.

A successful production is also difficult because the ballet is so available - there are often several companies, of varying degrees of ability, within a particular urban area presenting the ballet virtually at the same time. And, there are many other opportunities for family entertainment at this season of the year. However, year after year people come to see the magic and many a professional dancer first felt the sprinkle of star dust while watching this ballet as a small child - and for many children it is their first experience in a theater. Behind it all, the company hopes that the pleasure will induce the audience to return for the rest of the performing season and that the magic of the ballet is not limited to a single experience.

First performed in St. Petersburg in 1892 (some historians say 1891) Nutcracker is noteworthy for some of Tchaikovsky's most delightful music. Many of the melodies are among the most familiar to anyone who loves music such as Waltz of the Flowers, the Sugar Plum Fairy, or the Grand Pas de Deux. Tchaikovsky imported a musical instrument, a celesta, which he carefully guarded to keep other composers from using it before he did. This gives the score a very special sound; somehow familiar yet magical. City Ballet's choreography credits: Ivanov, Vainonen, Nureyev, W. Chistensen and resident choreographer, Elizabeth Rowe Wistrich.

The Spreckles Theater in downtown San Diego is an old jewel box of a venue, seating approximately 1900 and is a good choice for projecting magic. It's an example of the classic concept of what a theatre should be with open sightlines (superior to many a newer venue) and raked seating as well as what a theater should look like with many of the classic interior decorations that adds much to the experience. Since its opening in 1912 the stage has hosted luminaries from legendary Prima Ballerina Anna Pavlova to Sergei Rachmaninoff, from Abbott and Costello to Will Rogers.

The theatre's intimacy in the hands of a less capable ballet company would be a negative factor and enable the audience to see - almost feel - any flaws. But in this case it allows the viewer to get involved in the sparkle and get drawn into the stage action. It is only later, upon reflection, that one knows careful guiding hands, thoughtful planning, good choices in artistic values, and committed dancers produced a most worthwhile production. The action is continuous, no lag time, no down time, no unused music.

First, the children - and there are many of them - but at no time are they "extras," space fillers, or supplying the "cute factor." They aren't on stage to be cute - they are dancers; a well rehearsed intrinsic part of the ballet; clean, well utilized and one never gets the feeling they've been "used." They are not there to manipulate an emotional response of the audience. They know what to do, they do it, they smile, and they also know how to leave the stage with aplomb. This is quite an accomplishment since they are often involved in fairly complex movement patterns.

The Act I party scene which in some productions is either fussy, musty or overlong - this production avoids all three pitfalls. I was especially taken with "Louisa" - I assume she was the gypsy doll, danced by Megan Nichols. Listed in the program as an apprentice - not as yet a full company member - she is evidently a dancer to watch; spirited, engaging, with exciting fully split sissonnes (huge split jump done sur la place) with her back leg an inch from touching her head.

City Ballet of San Diego's Nutcracker -
Ivan Bielik (Cavalier) and Ariana Samuelsson (Sugar Plum Fairy) casting

Janica Smith danced "Clara" and managed to retain the young girl wonder while giving a fulsome performance. She's a lovely dancer, always pleasurable to watch. Her Nutcracker Prince, Taurean Green, is a manly capable partner and I especially enjoyed him when he joined Daniel Salvador in the Russian divertissement. It was then that he was given the chance to stretch out and really dance. Salvador was enjoyable, too - particularly in his coda in the finalé. He also danced the "Mouse King" with verve. Kevin Engle's "Herr Drosselmeyer" was properly mysterious without being scary. Emily Kim in the Spanish divertissement was feisty with David Levy a good match. The other dances, Arabian, Chinese, were all well done.

The ensemble dances, Kingdom of Snow and Waltz of the Flowers, again showed the fine hand behind the scenes; well rehearsed and together - well beyond the stage of "no mistakes" - every head, every arm, line of torso, line and height of leg - were presented as one body. Creating a stage full of individuals who dance as one body - a corps de ballet - is the most difficult of all the facets necessary for a good company to produce. In the Kingdom of Snow, when the dancers circled the stage, as an old retired ballet teacher I couldn't help but click off in my eye each dancer as she came to the fore executing the quick arabesque sautés (small jump in arabesque), and yes, each foot was fully pointed, every time.

The Waltz of the Flowers was fine, too. Kimberly Roberts, as the "Rose" is a beautiful long stemmed flower. While she has a silken quality, I would have liked greater amplitude - a feeling that she was scooping us up, a more fulsome gesture as well as leaving some aroma behind. Her grand flic-flac en tournant was fun to watch.

I loved the color. I loved how brightly it was lit. At no time did black costuming (what little there was of it) become invisible to the eye. During the battle of the mice and soldiers, all too often the mice are dressed in black, in a darkened room - and much of the action is thereby lost. Not so in this production; the mice are in silvery grey - well lit - and easy to see. For only a short moment did the "smoke" hide the initial leap of the Mouse King into the stage action. But it was only a moment.

Something should be said about the lighting design. If credit was given in the program - I missed it - no name could I find. However, it added a great deal to the effect. Always lit so the action was visible, it also inspired mood from dance to dance and enhanced the vividness of impression.

And now to the Grand Pas de Deux with Ariana Samuelsson and Richard Bowman. This is the capstone of the ballet - all has led up to this. As I've watched Samuelsson these past several years, she grows and grows on me. Not that I was ever - ever - put off - no indeed. I love her timing; she leaves something of herself in the space she's leaving while at the same time filling the space she's coming to. Nothing is ever hurried, even in exceedingly fast allegro, there's an ease to her execution. She lingers in the phrase and therefore lingers in the mind.

The forty member orchestra (led by John Nettles) - Artistic Director Steven Wistrich has told me it is important to him to have live musicians playing live music - was comprised of a range of musicians from area high schools, colleges and professionals. Except for a brief time in the beginning of the second act, they were a good addition. The volume of sound filled the theatre and the intimacy of the space made them part of the experience.

The Nutcracker
with the City Ballet Orchestra
conducted by John Nettles

Spreckels Theatre

Friday, December 7, 2007
7:30pm

Saturday, December 8, 2007
2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, December 9, 2007
2:00pm

Friday, December 14, 2007
7:30pm

Saturday, December 15, 2007
2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, December 16, 2007
2:00pm

Tickets:

$29 - $39 - $49 - $59

Tickets Program Photos Driving Directions

Allegro's Nutcracker Events

Nutcracker plus On-Stage Reception

Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon

"The Nutcracker"