Children’s theater, hip-hop troupe, BalletMet bring skills to ‘Nutcracker’
How many ways are there to perform “The Nutcracker”? This weekend, central Ohio audiences can choose from a trio of productions of the classic holiday ballet, each with distinct differences in style and scale. Pick the performance that suits you best — or sample all three. mesmerized that those are only teenagers,” said Artistic Director Tara Miller, who also owns the New Albany Ballet Company. “They’re doing choreography that was set for professionals, so to have the Sugar Plum Fairy be only 17 years old is kind of a ‘wow’ factor.”
This year, two seniors at New Albany High School — Waverly Kim and Lauren Robinson — will alternate in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
A handful of professional dancers will make appearances, including two veterans of BalletMet: Jimmy Orrante will perform as Herr Drosselmeyer and David Ward as the Cavalier.
The emphasis, however, is on youth; the youngest performers onstage will be about 5 years old.
“We have the candy canes, and the gingersnap little girls and boys, and the bonbons,” Miller said. “If you have a child, they love watching other children dance.”
Contact: www.newalbany ballet.com; 1-800-7453000, www.ticketmaster. com
Showtimes: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $16.50 to $26.50 midst of his sixth season at BalletMet, Artistic Director Edwaard Liang has yet to choreograph a version of “The Nutcracker.”
Instead, the company has continued to present the version co-created by Liang’s predecessor, former Artistic Director Gerard Charles. This year’s run will begin on Friday and continue through Dec. 23 in the Ohio Theatre.
As Liang sees it, why mess with success?
“I know that this community really has embraced it, and it’s become such a family tradition,” said Liang, who points to the presence of stage magic and trickery thanks to the contributions of Charles’ collaborator, Robert Post.
“What’s great about this is that it’s very fastmoving,” Liang said. “It’s a great pace; it’s a great way of storytelling and balancing humor and bringing the audience into the story.”
Dancer Kristie Latham, a member of the company since 2013, praises the spectacle of the show.
“We have a great group of talented dancers from around the country and around the world, but also we have such a great academy of kids,” said Latham, whose roles this year will include the Sugar Plum Fairy, Grandma Stahlbaum and the Spanish Doll.
Another distinction of BalletMet’s production: The presence of live music courtesy of the Columbus Symphony — a rarity for area “Nutcrackers.”
“Dancing to live music is just such a treat,” Latham said. “You don’t capture the same feeling on a recording — especially when you’ve done like 15 shows of ‘Nutcracker.’ ”
Contact: 614-469-0939; 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and various dates and times through Dec. 23
Tickets: $29 to $94 PALACE THEATRE, 34 W. BROAD ST.
You may think you have seen every type of production of “The Nutcracker,” but when is the last time a performance featured a block party rather than the party scene?
In creating “The Hip-Hop Nutcracker,” choreographer Jennifer Weber shifted the 19th-century setting to 21stcentury Manhattan.
In this version, Clara — known here as MariaClara (dancer Ann-Sylvia Clark) — attends a block party with her parents, who are in the midst of an argument. She finds solace in the Nutcracker — not a