City Ballet of S.D. offers streaming ‘Nutcracker’

The holiday season doesn’t really end until this weekend is over, and in this untraditional year you might have skipped a couple of yuletide traditions the past few weeks. Like “The Nutcracker.”

Fear not. Through Sunday, you can still stream City Ballet of San Diego’s imag inative “A Masquerade Nutcracker.” Produced by Geoff Gonzalez, choreographed by Elizabeth Wistrich and richly costumed by David Heuvel, this 90-minute adaptation of the most beloved holiday dance work of all time is a def inite treat.

Perhaps it should have been titled “A Masked Nutcracker ” as members of the performing ensemble are wearing masks for COVID safety in addition to the more festive kind expected for a Victorian-era Christmas Eve gala at the Stahlbaum House.

The production was f ilmed at City Ballet’s home venue, downtown’s Spreckels Theater, which enables “The Nutcracker ’s” many elaborate scenes.

Many have seen “The Nutcracker ” several times before, so stor y-wise there are no surprises here. Better to g ive yourself over to City Ballet’s inspired visual realization of the tale, whether it be the Tin Soldier ’s sword duel with the Mouse King or the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

There’s always the sheer enjoyment of the ballet itself and of Tchaikovsky ’s mag nif icent score.

“A Masquerade Nutcracker ” benef its from the use of multiple camera angles — there’s nothing more static than watching a f ilmed production f rom a static, straight-ahead audience perspective — and just the right lighting.

Maybe the best thing about this streaming event is that kids who might other wise become restless in the conf ines of a theater can f lop in front of their laptops, f idget all they want and just possibly be mag netized for the entire hour and a half.

For more information, go to cityballet.org.