The+Nutcracker

= =



Over the yaers, thousands, maybe millions of ballets have been composed. choreographed, and performed. But only very few of them have become popular and famous- to the point when poeple who don't even know the ballet humming it's theme. My personal favorite is //The Nutcracker Fantasy//. I dance in MDT/DI's version every Winter, and it's always been my favorite music. Full of festive holiday cheer and exciting adventure, The //Nutcracker// is a classic. Here is a tribute to my all-time favorite ballet.

The Composition of the Nutcracker

Ivan Vsevolozhsky, who was the Director of the Imperial Theatres, told Tchaikovsky to compose a 2-Act opera/ballet hybrid with Marius Petipa (who he worked with to create //The Sleeping Beauty//) called //Iolanta//. Pepita chose the material to base the new opera/Ballet off of, and decided on E.T.A. Hoffmann's story //The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.// Tchaikovsky got very detailed description for the music, which he didn't exactly appreciate. The creation of the piece was interrupted for a short time when Tchaikovsky went to the U.S. for a while to conduct concerts, and composed part of it in France, but it was composed nonetheless, and is today one of the most famous and celebrated ballets of all time. = =

__**The Nutcracker- Roles**__

Characters in the order that they appear from the original french version: Act 1 Act 2
 * President
 * His wife
 * Guests (cousins/aunts/uncles)
 * Children of the president: Clara (Otherwise known as Marie) and Fritz
 * Count Drossylmeyer
 * Owl
 * Mice
 * Sentinel
 * Hare-drummers
 * Soldiers (of the Nutcracker)
 * Mouse king
 * Snowflakes
 * Angels
 * Angels
 * Sugar Plum Fairy
 * Nutcracker Prince
 * 12 Pages
 * Spanish Hot Chocolate Performers
 * Arabian Coffee Performers
 * Chinese Tea Performers
 * Russian Candy Cane Performers
 * Danish Marzipan Shepherdesses Performers
 * Mother Gigogne
 * Polichinelles
 * Dewdrop
 * Flowers
 * Sugar Plum Fairy's Cavalier

Characters in the order they appear in the modern version: Act 1 Act 2
 * Marie
 * Fritz
 * Cousins/young guests
 * Maids
 * Herr Silberhaus and Frau Silberhaus
 * Count Drossylmeyer
 * Princess & Her Cavalier
 * Herr and Frau Ratheimer
 * Marionettes
 * Soldiers
 * Harlequins
 * French Doll
 * Nutcracker
 * Toy army
 * Rats
 * Rat Queen
 * Snowflakes
 * Snowflakes
 * Toys
 * Arabian Princess, Spainish Queen, Flower Queen, and Sugarplum Fairy
 * Spainish Queen and her Cavalier
 * Chinese Dancers
 * Russian Dancers
 * Arabian Princess and her Cavalier
 * Flowers
 * Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier
 * Madame Bobonneire

Summary of the //Nutcracker Fantasy://

Act 1 It's Christmas Eve at the Silberhaus House, and everyone is excited. Marie and her little brother, Fritz, aren't allowed into the parlor where Mom and Dad are busy setting up the Christmas tree, which seems to become grander and grander every year. They try to look through the keyhole to see what's going on, when finally the doors are opened and the party begins. The tree is huge and dripping with candles, beads, and presents, in a corner there is a table overflowing with sweets like marzipan mice and turtle cakes, and beautiful couples are dancing in the middle of the room, the ladies colorful dresses swaying against their partners sharp black suits. But something-or rather, someone- is missing. As the clock strikes eight, a mysterious cloaked figure enters the room. It's none other than Count Drossylmeyer, Marie and Fritz's talented toymaker and godfather. He brings out multiple dancing toys for the children, including lifelike Marionette puppets, hilarious Harlequines, a beautiful French Doll, and straight, saluting Soldiers that dance around with the guests. Finally, after all these wonders, Count Drossylmeyer brings out two special gifts: a group of the Soldiers in miniature for Fritz, and a Nutcracker, in the form of a small man, for Marie. Marie immedietly falls in love with the little doll, and is heartbrokrn when Fritz "accidently" breaks him. Count Drossylmeyer promises Marie he can have it fixed by the morning, and the children are sternly sent to bed. Marie, however, is so sad over her broken Nutcracker that during the night, while everyone is asleep, she sneaks downstairs to check on him. As she reaches down to her beloved Nutcracker, the clock strikes midnight and suddenly hundreds of rats begin to fill her parlor, and everything in the room- including the Nutcracker and the Mice- grow to dizzying heights, and she realizes that she is shrinking! Her Nutcracker-now full of life- scoops her up and out of harms way as an epic battle unfolds. Nutcracker calls to all of the dolls and soldiers, and the very same toys Marie was laughing at only hours earlier were now coming to life to fight against the mouse army and their evil leader- The Mouse King! But the battle isn't going well. The Nutcracker's army is outnumbered, and the Rats are merciless. The Nutcracker, brave as ever, is taking on the Mouse King single handedly. He knocks the Nutcracker's sword away from him, and he is defenseless on the ground. But then, just as he is about to finish the poor Nutcracker off, Marie saves the day by throwing her slipper at the evil king, and the Nutcracker is saved! The Mouse Kings army quickly retreats without their leader, and Nutcracker and Marie are left in their Living room. But the Nutcracker is no longer just a nutcracker... He is a Prince! He tells Marie that the Mouse King had put a curse on him and turned him into a Nutcracker. But now that he was dead, the curse was lifted and he could live in his true form as the Prince of the Land of Sweets. He and Marie travel there and are meeted by a huge celebration, for the Mouse King was cruel to all of his subjects, and they were happy to finally be free. The Snow Fairies come to meet them, and Act 1 is complete.

Act 2 As the curtain rises for act 2, the snowflakes finish up and say goodbye. Toys and soldiers who fought in the war are sent on there way with a hearty thank you and farewell, and the celebration begins! They travel to the magical land of sweets, full of rivers running with wine, castles made of marzipan, clouds of cotton candy, and bridges made of gingerbread. The exotic Spainish pas de duex deliver an snappy, exciting piece, and give their gift of chocolate. The Russian troupe give an serious yet silly, old-fashioned performance for the Nutcracker Prince and Marie. The happy-go-lucky Chinese dancers give welcoming, bright piece and pour steaming herbal tea. Magnifecent dancing flowers come and go, leaving a tantalizing fragrance in their wake. The mysterious Arabian couple don't speak, but leave bold, rich cups of coffee for Marie and Nutcracker Prince to enjoy. And brightly-wrapped candies give a bouncy little jig that leaves everyone giggling. Finally, The Sugar Plum fairy comes out. As the queen of the Land of Sweets, she and her cavalier put on the most spectacular and breathtaking piece yet. They dance a pas de duex, the cavalier has his piece, and it's the Sugar Plum Fairy's turn to dance. She delivers a beautiful, delicate show that leaves the audience. She thanks Marie warmly and announces that there will be one final dance that everyone will take part in. The powdered, very french, and very huge Madame Bonbonneire comes out and all her children, hundreds of them, come out with her. Everyone gets up and joins hands for a gleefull promenade around Madame, who is laughing and singing along. All goes well, until an unexpected guest arrives. This is where it gets tricky. There are multpile endings to the story. The one I see used most commonly is this: The Rat Queen herself shows up to the party, and she is not happy. Her beloved husband is dead, and she wants revenge. While everyone is tired from the party, she sneaks up behind the Sugar Plum Fairy and snatches crown off her head, making herself the rightful ruler of the Land of Sweets! She runs off gleefully in the night, and everyone is confused and upset. But that's not all. As the Rat Queen triumphs, Marie has started to disappear! She is fading quickly out of the Land of Sweets, but as she calls out to the Nutcracker Prince one last time, she disappears completely... ...And wakes up on her parlor floor! It turns out that the whole thing was just a dream! Marie calls out to her Nutcracker, confused and concerned, but finds him in lying her arms. She looks down at him, thoroughly bewildered, and heads upstairs to go to bed. But just as she sets him on his shelf one last time, she swears she saw him wink.

This is a video of Larissa Lezhnina performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy for Kirov. This has always been a bit of a favorite of mine, choreography wise. There are many different versions of this, but I thought this one was the best example. On the left, we have the Chinese Dance with Jennifer Rivera. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the Company that put on the second Production. media type="youtube" key="EQBFhaRFPIk" height="315" width="560" media type="youtube" key="bWT7NkNk7qw" height="315" width="420"

Home