DANCE REVIEW: The Nutcracker

Pennsylvania Ballet's rendition of the holiday classic largely plays it safe - exuberant at times, stale at others.

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DANCE REVIEW: The Nutcracker

POSTED: Wednesday, December 21, 2011, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Arts Dance

Love it or hate it, The Nutcracker is a holiday staple for adults and children alike all around the world. For some, its viewing is a tradition passed from generation to generation since its introduction to New York City in the 1950s; for others it’s a guilty pleasure that makes even the most masculine, “bah-humbug” soul beam at the sight of the irresistibly magical Sugarplum Fairy.

Pennsylvania Ballet’s rendition of The Nutcracker at The Academy of Music largely plays it safe with the use of George Balanchine’s classic arrangement, which proved to be exuberant at times and a bit stale at others.

Though there is a deeper story behind the animation of the wooden nutcracker and his admittedly intense duel with antagonist The Rat King, on the surface the show is a fun-filled two hours of non-stop dancing mixed with various other crowd-pleasing stunts. And taking it for what it is, The Nutcracker is exceptional at accomplishing the evocation of holiday spirit it so clearly aims for.

The ballet was a near-flawless demonstration of how to take advantage of a big budget, with the stage aglow with gorgeous scenery of falling snowflakes, a towering clock, a Christmas tree decked out with enough lights to make Greenpeace scream in horror and more than enough delightful candy-inspired set pieces to create a feeling of holiday euphoria. Costumes were equally pleasing to the eye, perhaps peaking with the appearance of Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, donning costumes both laughable and “wow”-inducing at the same time. Visual imagery was, as would be expected, complemented well by the enchanting overtures performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra and Philadelphia Boys Choir that The Nutcracker has come to be known for.

And though the presentation was brought down by a rather sluggish and soporific first half of Act I, the play’s pacing picked up nicely as the Nutcracker saw his dramatic revival and led his army of tin soldiers into battle. Act II subsequently sped along, providing enough impressive stunts and impeccable dancing demonstrations — both solo and synchronized — to make up for the slow-building first half. The chemistry between the Sugarplum Fairy (Brooke Moore) and Her Cavalier (Francis Veyette) during their finale routine brought forth feelings of sheer joy and a type of pure romanticism not always translated well in plays devoid of dialogue.

Ultimately, any problems Pennsylvania Ballet’s version may have had are less a result of poor direction and more stemming from the fact that the play that is, by nature, dated. The Nutcracker is unlikely to disappoint long-time admirers seeking to revisit the realm of holiday nostalgia, but beware that children are more likely to count down the minutes until the play is over than revel in the same scenes parents might find titillating. It’s a charming production full of incredibly talented dancers (special mention for the spectacular children involved) that, while not having reinvented the wheel, managed to successfully re-create the charm of one of the season’s most beloved and quintessential customs.

Through Dec. 31, various times, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., paballet.org.

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