‘Nutcracker’ delivers charm, gorgeous dancing
An escapist story, Victorian charm, magic, shenanigans and lots of gorgeous dancing took the Uihlein Hall stage Saturday afternoon, with the opening of the Milwaukee Ballet Company’s annual production of “The Nutcracker.”
Set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, the production was directed and choreographed by Milwaukee Ballet artistic director Michael Pink.
This perpetual-motion “Nutcracker” is built of layers of storytelling. Multiple storylines play out simultaneously, sliding naturally between the foreground and background of the ballet.
And then, of course, there’s the dancing. From an exquisite Grand Pas, danced by Marize Fumero and Davit Hovhannisyan in the roles of Karl and Marie, to the gymnastic, comic antics of Parker Brasser-Vos as the Jack Doll and Erik Johnson and Alexander Negron as the two additional Jacks, this production is full of contrasts.
Nicole Teague created an innocent, playful Clara, dancing easily and lightly. Barry Molina balanced that sweetness with an irrepressible, crisply danced take on Fritz.
Timothy O’Donnell delivered a delightful Drosselmeyer, full of magic and mischief.
Annia Hidalgo’s Snow Queen was all about glittering, sculpted elegance, contrasting with Alana Griffith’s Shepherdess Doll, built of playful, stylized dance. Garrett Glassman’s Mouse King was fun, and lots of it.
Lahna Vanderbush and Randy Crespo brought Flamenco snap and precision to the Spanish dancers. Janel Meindersee and Isaac Sharratt created a mesmerizing and steamy pair of Arabian dancers, while Jonathan Batista delivered a delightful caricature as the Chinese dancer.
The production contains a good deal of solid theater, including some roles that are more theatrical than balletic. Patrick Howell mixed attitude and comedy as the father, matched nicely by Rachel Malehorn’s longsuffering take on the mother.
Ensemble dancers, appearing as party guests, snowflakes, big mice, flowers and the dragon, added polished, character-filled dancing throughout the production.
The production is delightfully heavy on children, from playful, dancing party guests to adorable angels, Mother Ginger’s children, three geese, mice, soldiers and the polished, young voices of the Milwaukee Choir.
The Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra accompanied the production under the baton of associate conductor Pasquale Laurino. The orchestra sounded its best in big, full-orchestra passages but displayed weaknesses in various string and wind sections in soft, exposed passages.
Lavish sets and costumes designed by Zack Brown are an integral part of the production.