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There is nothing like a Chicago Christmas. A drive down Michigan Avenue or State Street should get Scrooge in the mood. The city sparkles, and there is a happy buzz to the hustle and bustle. The jewel that sparkles brightest is The Nutcracker, danced by the Joffrey Ballet. Tchaikovsky's sweeping epic first appeared in Chicago in 1940, and several ballet companies have performed it. In 1987, the Joffrey embraced the tradition as an annual performance, and it is stamped on the hearts and minds of Chicago.
Christopher Wheeldon choreographs this version of The Nutcracker, with the score conducted by maestro Scott Speck. The dance is set during the Chicago World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893. Marie (Anabelle de la Nuez) and her brother Franz (Elliot Angsurat) live in a wooden frame house near the fairground. Julian Crouch designed the set and costumes, which realistically depict Chicago in the late 19th century and the glittering fantasy world that is Marie's dream.
The Great Impresario of the Fair (Alberto Velazquez) arrives at Marie and Franz's house to present her with a Nutcracker toy that Franz thinks he had stolen earlier from the Impresario's wagon. The festivities begin with the arrival of the neighbors and their children. Even the villainous Rat Catcher (Dylan Gutierrez) is welcomed with his pet rat. They all dance around the wilted Christmas tree.
The fantasy begins when Marie falls asleep, and the rascally rodents appear. Puppeteer Basil Twist does a brilliant job of animating the rats. The Nutcracker is similar to The Wizard of Oz in that everyday people and objects become enchanted in Marie's surreal dream. Gutierrez plays the Rat King and battles the Toy Soldiers. The Impresario's apprentice, Peter (José Pablo Castro Cuevas), takes the Rat King down, who turns into the Prince and sweeps Marie away to the fair.
This Nutcracker is a trimmed-down version of previous performances. There is no Troika dance or Whirling Dervishes, but there are added attractions that fit right in with the surreal theme. There is a dance of the Walnuts featuring dancers from the Joffrey Academy Pre-Professional cohort. The Dragon Dance features Wictor Hugo Pedroso in a fabulous solo. The Buffalo Bill segment features Gutierrez again in a Wild West dance with a lasso trick. The biggest applause was saved for the Arabian Dancers (Victoria Jaiani, Edson Barbosa) and their sensuous, intertwined dance. Their bodies formed shapes and illusions of limbs in reverse.
Amanda Assucena, who does double duty as the Mother, plays the Queen of the Fair. Assucena and Velazquez were the lovers in a masterful performance of Atonement. They stand out in this Nutcracker as well. Cuevas and de la Nuez are enchanting as Marie and the Prince. The entire production feels like a magical kaleidoscope of color and light. Maestro Speck leads the Lyric Orchestra in a beautiful performance of the music that is inextricably tied to the holiday season.
That night, the audience was filled with children and adults. An eleven-year-old sat next to my friend and me. She had a look of awe on her face and a beautiful smile. She also found a dollar on the floor, so it was already a super night. I highly recommend that you see The Nutcracker as part of your holiday adventures. You will hear the music and maybe have a lift in your steps when you leave.
The Nutcracker plays at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, through December 28. Running time is two hours with an intermission. Please visit www.joffrey.org for tickets and more information about this performance and the 2024-25 season of the Joffrey Ballet.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.