CHICAGO—Too often memorable classics that are reimagined to fit modern sensibilities don’t work. But every once in a while, a traditional creation is reinvented in such a way that makes it better than the original. Such is the case with “The Nutcracker,” which has replaced the Christmas spectacular based on author E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”
Hoffmann’s tale, written in 1816, centered on a young girl whose favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes to life. In 1892, Russian composer Tchaikovsky, with the assistance of choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, turned the story into one of the most popular ballets of all time, especially at the Christmas season.
The revised ballet extravaganza was terrific when it first opened seven years ago, but this year’s fabulous production proves that it has gotten better with age. Choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon with a story by Brian Selznick, it takes place in 1892 Chicago in advance of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The Exposition was created to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus, and using that setting as a backdrop makes the ballet not just an entertainment but a nostalgic journey into a more thoughtful and exuberant time. That’s because the Exposition featured industrial and scientific innovations, which served to show that Chicago had risen from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire—the fire that had destroyed much of the city in 1871.
The Exposition demonstrated the wonders of free enterprise as the country headed for an optimistic turn of a new century. It showcased the development of new products that were bettering the lives of all Americans, such as Cream of Wheat, Cracker Jack popcorn, Juicy Fruit Gum, and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
An Era of Excitement
All of those wonders of freedom and capitalism provide an extraordinary setting for this “Nutcracker.” It begins on a Christmas Eve months before the opening of the Exposition, and unfolds against a background map of the Midway Plaisance, with projections of the neoclassical architecture of grand white-painted plaster buildings, pavilions, and man-made lagoons.As the construction of The White City proceeds, a holiday celebration is taking place in a brown wooden shack. It houses a Polish immigrant, an artist who is sculpting the Columbian Exposition Statue of the Republic that will stand as a beacon of “Liberty” and greet visitors.
The dance action begins as workmen kick up their heels in celebration of Christmas. Soon a man in a black top hat and a swirling red cape arrives. He is a magical figure known as The Great Impresario, who casts a spell against the ongoing construction of an enormous, first-ever Ferris Wheel. He showers attention on the sculptress and on her daughter Marie, whom he gifts with a Nutcracker doll.
In this version, the Great Impresario has replaced the magician uncle of the original version, but still has bewitching powers. His magical ability is beguiling, especially when the meager tree grows into an ornament-laced gigantic evergreen that balloons across the stage. As Marie sleeps, she has a dream that her one-foot-high Nutcracker toy has been transformed into a real-life Prince who protects her in a battle against the Rat King and his rat followers.
In addition to the production’s dazzling imagery, The Joffrey Ballet’s choreography works in prefect harmony with Tchaikovsky’s enchanting music, as well as with the lavish sets and costumes by Julian Crouch, the fabulous gigantic Christmas tree projection by Ben Pearcy/59 Productions, the fanciful puppetry by Basil Twist, and the exemplary Lyric Opera Orchestra, wonderfully conducted by music director Scott Speck.
Moreover, the terrific dancers deliver exhilarating moments of derring-do ballet. While all the performances were extraordinary, there are some highlights. There’s the spellbinding Alberto Velazquez as the magical Impresario, elegant Anabelle de la Nuez as Marie, and Dylan Gutierrez as the ferocious Rat King.
A delightful confection for all, this gem of a “Nutcracker” is a Christmas gift guaranteed to lift everybody’s holiday spirit.
