Today, the family continued a fine tradition started when my sister and I were kids, we went to see The Nutcracker Ballet.
When we were kids, we got one big family gift for Chanukah and went to see The Nutcracker on Christmas Eve, performed by the New York City Ballet Company at Rockafeller Center. We did this for years and years and years, we would get dressed up and go to a matinee at the City Company and then go out to dinner, it was usually my parents, sister and grandmother [mom’s mom, who lived in NYC].
It has been along time since I have been to a production of The Nutcracker and it brought back so many memories. Now, you know how when you do something over and over and it becomes a tradition and the way you saw it first is how you always remember it and it is a good and happy memory and when you see it again and it’s different, you’re like…huh…
Let me preface by saying, this was a wonderful performance! The dancers were fantastic, the choreography was beautiful, the sets, the orchestra, everything, it could not have been better and to see the enraptured look on both EJS and MGS during the performance and MGS twirling her little heart out after the curtain closed, almost to the car, made it all worth it and I could not imagine a better picture, being there with not only my nieces and brother-in-law, but with my dad and sister, just like when we were kids, I was transported back in time all at once as if in a dream.
I have been to see The Nutcracker once on stage in Atlanta, I took my grandmother when she was visiting and once at an IMAX 3D. Both were different and I was not crazy about them, despite being a wonderful performance, but good memories because of the company and story. Something important to point out, the version that we grew up with was the George Balanchine version, each Ballet Company chooses to do their own choreograpy, what we love…Balanchine.
For those of you “not in the know’, here is a link to the entire production by The New York City Ballet Company filmed in 1993, and in the role of the Nutcracker Prince was Macaulay Culkin, who was 13 at the time, and of course we were in attendance that year, he was quite good in the role. Now, just so you are aware, there happens to be some narration during the performance in the video [I found it odd when I first heard it]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ5Se2ErinU
Act I takes place at a party and Act II takes place in The Land of Sweets. We love the entire ballet, but everyone has their favorite parts and I am going to tell you about ours and I will tell you where they are in the video link. In Act I, I love the when Clara and Herr Drosselmeier’s nephew part company at the part [23:05], when The Nutcracker becomes a boy [46:00].
There are so many to love and dad, GES and I love the entire production, but here you go. We all LOVE when the tree grows [32:52] in Act I, then in the Land of Sweets, my mom adored Coffee, from Arabia, her ultimate favorite part was at the very end, what she does with her feet, amazing! Mine is Tea [52:18], so funny and charming always makes me laugh and GES is Candy Canes [53:24] when he hula hoop skipping, you’ll know when you see it, I must admit, I love that too! We love Mother Ginger, always played by a man dressed as a woman, and her polchinelles [57:00] with her tamborine and hand mirror. My dad’s favorite is The Pas de Deux, with the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier, but the bestest part of it is towards the end, when he pulls her, on point, on a block across the stage [1:09]
I hope some day you get to experience this in person, but if you don’t, please enjoy the link, I know I am in heaven sitting here listening to the music while I talk to you! Happy of happies!
http://www.nycballet.com/Season-Tickets/Nutcracker-Additional/Synopsis.aspx
