NYCB Nutcracker returns – 11/26

This opening night of Nutcracker at New York City Ballet was far more than the patched-up performance that we were expecting. Nobody under twelve years old was on the stage due to the inability to vaccinate the younger kids prior to the start of rehearsals. Did it make a difference that we saw experienced older kids and teenagers dancing the parts usually reserved for the tiniest students? Yeah, some. But we’ve got to thank the older kids for stepping in to save NYCB’s Nutcracker season. Everyone did a fabulous job. 

 

The Act I party scene seemed thinly populated as did the troops in the fight scene with the mice. Maybe everyone was conscious of social distancing, but the action seemed less packed and eventful than usual. All of Act I was carefully danced, perhaps a little over-studied - we’re always looking for that kid who consumes too much sugar before the performance and gets carried away to the very edge of Nutcracker delinquency. We’ll check back later in the run. The new dresses for the children in the Party Scene that featured soft pinks and rich browns were quite pretty.

 

KJ Takahashi as the toy Soldier calibrated his four 1-¼ tours like he was doing them inside a cube. Precision and accuracy defined.

 

The Bunny was every mouse king’s nightmare in the fight scene. He was a – he was a – he was an animal! The Bunny grabbed hold of the Mouse King’s tail and swung him around like an Olympic hammer throw. The Mouse King didn’t know what attacked his rear. The Bunny’s dash & grab was fleet and with perfectly measured force. And as we’ve come to expect, it came just in time to save the Nutcracker Prince from the Mouse King’s sword.

 

The Snowflakes were lovely. A near collision with a snowdrift on the left side of the stage during the opening crisscrossing was covered quickly. It’s always a joy to see the aculeate hot feet of Emma Von Enck melt the snow in this section of the ballet.

 

Growth happens. In Act II, all the Polichinelles couldn’t fit under Mother Ginger’s skirt; so, the little “boy” Polichinelles arrived and departed while hiding behind the skirt. It almost worked. The Angels were most affected by size. The choreography, particularly the port de bras while holding the trees, has always been a challenge for the littlest ones. They do tend to struggle while trying to hold the trees up straight in front of themselves and have to search for the precise position of the arms overhead. Seeing older children cover the choreography point by point had a literal connect-the-dots feeling.

 

Daniel Ulbricht’s crew of Candy Canes were sequoias-in-the-making. Were they taller than Ulbricht? Possibly. It made for an interesting contrast. But truth be told, whenever Ulbricht dances Candy Cane, we don't watch the kids that much. It’s great to have the consistent brilliance of his performance in this role year in and year out.

 

Georgina Pazcoguin performed Coffee with the darkness and gravity that made us feel like we were being sucked into a black hole from which we would never escape. She’s entitled to her interpretation. What she’s not entitled to is to continually jingle the bells on her costume back stage while the Sugar Plum Fairy is performing her variation. Why does this artist try so hard to be obnoxious?

 

Tiler Peck’s Dewdrop was everything we expected and more. We’ll never tire of the musicality, radiance, and jubilation that infuses her interpretation of this role.

 

Our Sugarplum Fairy, Megan Fairchild, danced with the youthful glow and confident grace of a ballerina in the masterfully prolonged sweet spot of her career. A dropped fairy wand didn’t phase her for even a second. Her Cavalier, Gonzalo Garcia, rocked the white tights and was as gallant as anyone could wish. A few overly excited turns a la second started to waver off course, but Garcia managed to save them with a squeaky clean finish.

 

Given the obstacles, NYCB exceeded our expectations with this Nutcracker. Did we miss the magic that the littlest kids bring to the stage? Yeah. But…

 

Our H.H. Pump Bump Award, best expressed by Steve Madden’s jewels and spikes, is bestowed upon the amazing Megan Fairchild for her rock steady brilliance and grace as the Sugarplum Fairy.

 

 

 

Comments

[Savannah]

Thank you so much for the review, Haglund. And thanks for clarifying the Polichinelles situation. When I first found out about the age restriction, my first thought was "how on earth are eight teens going to fit inside that skirt"? I suppose having the "boys" hide behind Mother Ginger is easier than getting a bigger skirt.

[Karen]

Oh my Haglund! My mind went straight to one of my favorite movies when you mentioned the bells of Georgina Pazcoguin! At least Auntie Mame was entertaining . . . and good natured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555TjafRXgM

[Haglund]

You nailed it, Karen.

[Jeannette]

Haglund, was there an intermission? Or is it just a long pause, with the audience remaining in seats?

[Haglund]

Intermission. 20-25 minutes or so.

[Jeannette]

Thanks!