How to build a Nutcracker
98 children, 2 bears, 1 horse, a mechanical mouse and a giant Fabergé egg are just a few of the stars that have to be stage-ready when the curtain rises on James Kudelka’s version of classic ballet
It will be 20 years and 18 Sugar Plum Fairy ballerinas since the curtain first rose on the National Ballet’s version of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker when the holiday-season favourite begins this weekend.
The National Ballet invested $2.7 million to make its 1995 Nutcracker among the world’s most eye-popping. Even now, two decades on, it’s still a visual stunner, thanks to the designing genius of Santo Loquasto and choreography by James Kudelka.
What’s more, it has yielded almost $50 million in box-office revenue.
To keep the ballet looking fresh requires year-round maintenance. With 469 performances to date (and counting), costumes wear out, paint peels, props come apart.
Here’s what it takes to keep The Nutcracker looking good.
Minimizing mishaps
With a remote controlled rat, multiple scene changes with huge pieces flying in and out, and props that range from spears to jiggling jellies, there’s plenty that can jam, fall, entangle itself or generally malfunction. A table that is rolled onstage in Act II and then pulled open to its full length by dancers has always been a headache.
The concertina mechanism needs to fully engage to make it sturdy enough for the dancers to cartwheel over. Then there are the spring-loaded latex candelabra that are supposed to but don’t always pop up on cue. The original had to be repaired so many times it was eventually replaced.
Last-minute touch-ups
Between seasons, The Nutcracker is taken apart and trucked back to the National Ballet’s production centre in Scarborough for storage and maintenance. Resident scenic artist Kelly Palmer gets to work touching up paintwork and special finishes. Even a sweaty hand on the simulated gold finish of Act II’s huge Fabergé-style egg can cause oxidation blemishes that have to be touched up. “We have a repair kit that goes to the theatre,” says Palmer.
One size does not fit all
In any one performance you’ll see187 costumes and it’s not feasible for every dancer to have one of his or her own. They’re designed to make it easier to let in or out as required. According to wardrobe supervisor Marjory Fielding, dancers, particularly the men, have also been getting taller since The Nutcracker’s 1995 premiere. Adjustments have to be made and when costumes need to be completely replaced allowance is made for today’s lanky lads.
With all the sweaty exertion and costumes shared among constantly changing casts, the laundry people are busy putting through nine loads after every show.
Watch out for the “diamonds”
In the snow scene, the costumes for the men who support the Snow Queen sparkle with artificial diamonds. To minimize the risk of cuts, they’re covered with a layer of translucent tulle.
One of the most spectacular costumes is the coat worn by Uncle Nikolai in the opening party scene. It’s long, full and heavy, so heavy that it risks throwing its occupant off balance as he executes a series of fast pirouettes. After the first season they replaced the lining with lighter material to make it more manageable.
So you want to be a bear
It looks like fun, but before you’re tempted by the thought of climbing into one of two dancing bear costumes, consider this: They’re heavy. They’re hot. It’s dark inside and hard to see out. Just ask Sonia Rodriguez, one of seven dancers scheduled to appear as the Sugar Plum Fairy this season. Before she became a principal ballerina, Rodriguez was often cast as a bear.
“For some dancers, they simply can’t do it,” she says. “It’s just too claustrophobic.” Fortunately, the bear heads detach from the bear bodies, and dancers generally wait until shortly before their entrance and take a deep breath of fresh air before disappearing under the huge furry brown head pieces.
It’s all about the children
Each performance includes 98 young dancers, ranging in age from 6 to 18. Altogether, 280 young dancers from several schools in the Toronto area will take part this year. Is there ever a slip-up? Well, if you were at one particular performance a few years ago you might just have noticed that one bed was a mouse short. A nerve-stricken little darling just couldn’t muster the courage to show her whiskers.
á The Nutcracker is at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., Dec. 12 to Jan 3; national.ballet.ca or call 416-3459595 or 1-866-345-9595.