Zalman Raffael's Elegant Reinterpretation of The Nutcracker Sparkles
This article was originally published in Triangle Review on 12 December 2022.
Not feeling that Christmas Spirit as much this year as in the past? Going to see the Carolina Ballet artistic director Zalman Raffael's reinterpretation of The Nutcracker, inspired by the Raleigh, NC-based ballet's previous productions by George Balanchine and Carolina Ballet's founding artistic director Robert Weiss, will change that. Last night, I saw The Nutcracker at the Durham Performing Arts Center, with my 12-year-old son, who had never seen the holiday staple and -- except for the melody of The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (which I couldn't stop humming since we got the tickets) -- knew very little about it. My son has played cello since he was five, and is at least slightly familiar with Tchaikovsky, so I was excited for him to see an orchestra perform the entire Nutcracker Suite live and with the visual stimulation of what I knew would be top-notch ballet.
The show opens with an entertaining magic rehearsal by Uncle Drosselmeyer (Sokvannara Sar) and his nephew (Isaac Goss) in a toy-shop set, reminiscent of a painting that you can step into at an immersive art exhibit. Next, a semi-transparent screen depicting a giant log house appears across the entire stage, with two children playing in the snow out front.
Depending on the lighting, the giant house appears and disappears, alternating between the growing number of children accumulating in the snowy front yard and the Christmas party preparations going on inside. It's one of several neat tricks that both my son and I appreciated, thanks to the expertise of lighting designer Ross Kolmanand his team.
The performance continues, with alternate lighting of multiple scenes on stage, each of which are somewhat magical sets in their own right. The scenic design team (Andrew Armas, Jeff A.R. Jones, and Matt Strampe) and illusionist Rick Thomas should be proud of their creations.
A highlight of the performance is the number of children involved, not just as props but as actual performers. Even better is seeing these young people interact with professional adult ballet dancers onstage. Laila Sutton is sweetly sincere and graceful in her performance as young Clara, alongside her proud and regal nutcracker prince, performed by young Isaac Goss. And The Battle with the Mouse King remains my son's favorite part of the performance.
As the action moves from graceful pantomime to professional ballet, one cannot help but marvel at the finesse of the dancers as they perform truly amazing physical feats in synchrony with orchestral music that is literally at their feet. The Sugar Plum Fairy (Alyssa Pilger) and Her Cavalier (Luke Potgieter) deliver a harmoniously willowy performance that is enhanced by Pilger's long arms and legs, which she wields with elegance and fluid control.
The dancers portraying Hot Chocolate (Ella Volpe, https://www.carolinaballet.com/artistic/dancers/kathleen-black">Kathleen Black, Elye Bailey, and Jonas Godwin); the Candy Canes (Joseph Gerhardt, Braden Hart, and Jayson Pescasio); and the Gum Drops (Deirdre Scanlon, Saskia de Muinck Keizer, and Emily Fretz) were all impressive and engaging in ways that elevated the spirit.
Lauren Wolfram delivers Coffee's exotic and somewhat sultry dance in a way that is mesmerizing and nostalgic. But the highlights for me are Rachel Robinson's spotlit ballet as the lead Snowflake and Ayla O'Day's solo as Crystalline. Every time either of them came on stage, my eyes were drawn to their athletic and perfectly erect bodies, twirling around as if driven by the gears of a music box. My son and I kept referring to both of them as the "Snow Queen" throughout the performance.
Just to hear Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, performed live, is a treat and a great way to bring on the winter holidays. Conductor Alfred E. Sturgis and his orchestra are top-notch and a joy to listen to. But to experience this orchestral masterpiece alongside the synchronized ballet of a talented and well-respected dance company is a unique experience that every kid should experience at least once. As for my son, he just may go with me again next year. 😃
Note to Producers: I wish you had listed the names of each piece in Tchaikovsky's suite in chronology, with its occurrence in the performance. Not only would this help the audience follow the often vague storyline, it would extend appreciation for the vast amount of musical compositions involved in a two-hour performance like this, musical compositions that were written by hand (in the late 1800's) and that could once only be heard via a live orchestra.
Note to Theatergoers: Rick Thomas, the magician who has designed illusions specifically for Carolina Ballet's performances of The Nutcracker, will perform an exclusive magic show one hour before the 2 and 7 p.m. performances of The Nutcracker on Saturday, Dec. 17th. These magic shows are FREE to Nutcracker ticket holders, but seats must be reserved through the Carolina Ballet Box Office. Click here for more details.
