Nutcracker Review (2008)

English National Ballet has performed The Nutcracker as part of its Christmas season every year since 1950. Each year a new production is created by the artistic team, reworking the idea while still telling the original story.

See also The Nutcracker - Family Friendly Performance Review.

Pros

• Reworked annually so fun to see more than once
• Part of London's festive traditions since 1950
• A family show as it's a simple story with characters children can easily identify
• An uplifting 'feel-good' performance
• The Land of Snow scene has magical Jack Frosts and snowflake dancers
• Recognizable music makes it accessible to those new to going to the ballet

Cons

• Lead characters costumes were weak.
  While all in the party scene were magnificent caricatures, Drosselmeyer and Clara's costumes were a let down. Drosselmeyer's cloak and black suit were somewhat sinister and Clara's simple outfit was too understated. I would like to have seen Drosslemeyer in something more flamboyant and Clara in something more child-like.

The Nutcracker is a German fairy tale written by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816. It was first performed as a ballet in 1892 and the English National Ballet first performed it in 1950. It was such a success it has been part of the Christmas season every year since.

The basic story is of a magician called Drosselmeyer who gives Clara a Nutcracker doll which comes to life. It also includes a battle with the Mouse King, flying on an origami bird, performances from the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, plus dancing sweets.

You can read the story, as it is used in this ballet performance, on the ENB web site.

The Music

Tchaikovsky's first ballet score was for Swan Lake in 1877. Unfortunately it didn't go down very well so he waited till 1890 to start writing music for dance again, and in 1892 he created The Nutcracker.

The English National Ballet's Orchestra is the largest of its kind in Europe. Expect around 60 musicians to accompany the dancing.

Because of Disney's 1940 film, Fantasia, most of us know the music.

The dancers in the family party scene in Act I were more like actors that dancers as they performed their over-the-top characters splendidly. Grandpa used a walker and had a curvy, sexy girlfriend. It must have felt weird for that dancer to wear butt, hip, and boob padding! The audience had plenty to laugh at throughout the scene as the comedy was well-timed and completely fitting.

The Land of Snow is ideal for ballet as the dancers convinced us they were snowflakes as they glided across the stage from an enormous refrigerator.

The set design throughout felt festive without the story being overtly about Christmas.

Act II gave the opportunity for the dancing to shine as performances of different characters entertained Clara and the Nutcracker. The comedic Chinese duo were hilarious and Yat-Sen Chang as a Russian dancer was a highlight for me as his skill and strength are a wonder to behold. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince gave us a fabulous skills performance even if it did seem somewhat like showing off at times.

I wish the theater hadn't been so hot as it made me feel drowsy but the show was over all to soon for me and I enjoyed it immensely.

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