The iconic musical delights audiences young and old
Holiday magic returns once again with the enchanting production of The Nutcracker presented by Colorado Ballet at Denver’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Featuring the iconic music of Tchaikovsky, the audience is treated to such memorable moments as “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Pas de Deux.” Based on the choreography of Martin Fredmann and derived from the story by E.T.A. Hoffman, the classic ballet is performed worldwide every holiday season.
The story is about young Clara (Sonta Ross), who receives for Christmas a wooden nutcracker from her beloved godfather Drosselmeyer (Gregory Gonzales). Clara’s brother Fritz (Alexander Roy) accidentally breaks the nutcracker in a jealous rage, leaving Clara distraught. Having been summoned to bed, Clara returns to the living room right before midnight to check on the broken nutcracker. Drosselmeyer assures Clara that everything is all right and he magically turns the small nutcracker into a human-sized Nutcracker (Christopher Mitchell). In a dreamlike moment that threatens Clara, extraordinarily large mice appear in the living room, frightening the young girl. Thankfully, the Nutcracker kills the Mouse King (Liam Hogan), thus saving the day.
Jessica Payne and Bryce Lee in ‘The Nutcracker’ | Photo: Amanda Tipton
Much to Clara’s delight, the Nutcracker turns into a handsome prince, and they embark on a great journey to the Land of the Snow and to the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy. In the Land of the Snow, Clara and Nutcracker Prince are treated to a series of moments comprised of dances from various countries around the world including Spain, China and Russia. Moving on to the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy they are introduced to the fairy herself (Leah McFadden) and her Cavalier (Jonnathan Ramirez) who perform the glorious “Pax de Deux” for Clara and Nutcracker Prince. Upon completion of the dance, Nutcracker Prince takes sleepy Clara back to her home, leaving her unsure of whether it was real or just a dream.
Filled with a great deal of symbolism, The Nutcracker touches upon the meaning of strength, beauty and good versus evil. As played by Ross, young Clara is exposed to these lessons along the way and does so with an exuberant, wide-eyed performance. Gonzales is perfect as the doting godfather, Drosselmeyer, who initiates the marvelous journey by giving Clara the Nutcracker. Mitchell is an ideal Nutcracker Prince, both handsome and well-equipped to dance the demanding role.
Artists from Colorado Ballet joined in the production of ‘The Nutcracker’ | Photo: Amanda Tipton Photography
The Nutcracker is filled with the highly familiar music and dance that it is famous for. The music by Tchaikovsky filled the opera house with well-known musical notes that warmed the hearts of the holiday-going audience. One of the highlights was surely “Pas de Deux,” performed by McFadden and Ramirez. The duo were absolutely spellbinding from start to finish and presented a flawless rendition of this beautiful and intricate dance. Another notable presence was from the 37 Sugar Plums — played by fresh-faced, up-and-coming ballerinas from Colorado adding to the evening’s festivities.
This production of The Nutcracker is perfect for younger and older balletgoers. Much of the audience was filled with children who were spellbound by the performance both visually and musically. The length of the performance is perfect for an evening out that doesn’t extend much beyond bedtime. The Nutcracker is the embodiment of holiday entertainment and this production by Colorado Ballet does not disappoint.
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