The Nutcracker
The Russian premiere was not a huge success. “For dancers there is little in it,” one critic wrote, “for art absolutely nothing, and for the artistic fate of our ballet, one more step downward.” Nearly half a century passed before Walt Disney released the 1940 animated film which highlighted the music found in Act II of the ballet. The movie immediately popularized the score, which has since become synonymous with Christmas (and often inserted into movies and TV commercials). In 1944, the ballet made its American premiere in San Francisco, but it was George Balanchine’s iconic interpretation in the New York City Ballet’s 1954 production that became the gold standard that other ballets would reference for years to come. Choreographers in the United States and abroad continue to stage various versions, knowing that will most likely be their top-grossing show every
Born in Russia in 1840, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky began studying piano at 5 and later attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he learned Western methods of composition, which widened his perception of styles and allowed him to understand music cross-culturally. This training would set his work apart from other Russian composers. After graduating, he began teaching music theory at Moscow Conservatory while working on his own symphonies and ballets. He became best known for writing the 1812 Overture, as well as his Lake, Sleeping Beauty ballets. year. Meanwhile, additional platforms continue to crop up — Nutcracker on Ice, Nutcracker puppet shows, Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque, and film adaptations
(The Nutcracker in 3D, Barbie in the Nutcracker, Care Bears Nutcracker Suite, the Japanese stop-motion Nutcracker Fantasy, and dozens more).
Setting up and breaking down a large-scale production can be quite an ordeal. Sets and costumes fill a 53-foot semi-truck when they travel from city to city, and a crew of 12 to 15 people works upwards of 20 hours to load everything. In all, the truck contains eight crates stuffed with costumes, about 80 to 100 per crate, and overhead scenery that weighs about 5,000 pounds. As Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) publicist Jessica Moore puts it, “You never know what surprises might be uncovered in the 20 pieces of scenery … after a year in storage.” The same can be said for the costumes. A crew of 15 works the show and ensures that everything is washed, repaired, and otherwise in tip-top shape for the live performance. A new stop in L.A. will kick off this year’s tour, which then heads to Santa Fe and ends its run in Aspen over three consecutive weeks.