New York Theatre Ballet - Once Upon A Ballet: Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker
New York Theatre Ballet: Once Upon A Ballet
“The magic stays with us well beyond the hour.”
Huffington Post
Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker
Choreography by Keith Michael
Music by Peter Tchaikovsky
Costume Design by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan
Scenery Design and Painting by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith
Lighting Design by Kelly Martin
Properties Design and Construction by Herbert Kuhn
Scenery Construction by Tim Zay
The clock is ticking. It is Christmas Eve 1907 in a grand house on a grand street in a grand city. We are looking in on The Stahlbaum’s elaborate Art Nouveau mantelpiece – a clock, a ceramic Christmas tree, a framed photograph. Godmother Drosselmeyer’s Nephew Nathaniel, an enchanted young man, is tidying up before the evening festivities. He fantasizes, “When will I return as Crown Prince to my beloved magical land? Maybe tonight!”
The clock has stopped and must be wound. Drosselmeyer, the Clockmaker, is discovered dreaming inside its gears and flywheels, as are her Tick Tock “Keepers of the Clock.” With a few turns of the key, once again, time whizzes on its merry way. The photograph of Dr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum and their daughter, Marie, comes to life. Nathaniel is the newcomer to this intimate Christmas Eve party, and Marie blushes at his introduction.
Somehow, when Drosselmeyer arrives, amazing things happen. Behind a small door, one of Drosselmeyer’s creations, a delightfully droll wooden nutcracker man, mesmerizes Marie.
When Nathaniel and Marie bump into each other during a round dance, the nutcracker flies from Marie’s hands into the safety of Nathaniel’s arms. The connection is made. The party ends. Marie and Nathaniel coyly say goodnight. In the darkened house, Marie sneaks back into the living room and drifts off to sleep enamored of her new nutcracker. But she is not alone. A band of mice scavenge for holiday crumbs. The room soon shudders as Queen Mouserinks bursts in, grabbing for the potentially tasty nutcracker. Marie bravely protects the mustachioed little man, and this spark of love frees the Nutcracker Prince from within the nut-cracking wood! Now the Nutcracker Prince protects Marie. The Queen and the Prince snatch the hands from the Clock – minutes and hours clash in the air. Marie tangles Queen Mouserinks in her own tail, giving Nutcracker the split-second chance to “dispatch” her.
As Nutcracker pledges his devotion to Marie for saving his life, the mantel clock, already freed of its hands, freezes over with glistening icicles. With time stopped, the midnight living room fades away. Nutcracker and Marie thrill to their fantastic journey through the Land of Snow and onward to the delectable Land of Sweets.
Nutcracker’s kingdom rejoices in his return and celebrates Marie’s valor. Nutcracker is the Crown Prince, but the undisputed rulers of the Land are The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. A surprise cornucopia of entertainment has been prepared. And, indeed, surprises they are - transporting Marie to that neverland reached only just before waking from a delightful dream.
Even wonderful journeys must end. It is Christmas morning. Marie awakes. Can she possibly have traveled to all of those delicious places while she slept? It WAS real. Wasn’t it?
“The magic stays with us well beyond the hour.”
Huffington Post
Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker
Choreography by Keith Michael
Music by Peter Tchaikovsky
Costume Design by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan
Scenery Design and Painting by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith
Lighting Design by Kelly Martin
Properties Design and Construction by Herbert Kuhn
Scenery Construction by Tim Zay
The clock is ticking. It is Christmas Eve 1907 in a grand house on a grand street in a grand city. We are looking in on The Stahlbaum’s elaborate Art Nouveau mantelpiece – a clock, a ceramic Christmas tree, a framed photograph. Godmother Drosselmeyer’s Nephew Nathaniel, an enchanted young man, is tidying up before the evening festivities. He fantasizes, “When will I return as Crown Prince to my beloved magical land? Maybe tonight!”
The clock has stopped and must be wound. Drosselmeyer, the Clockmaker, is discovered dreaming inside its gears and flywheels, as are her Tick Tock “Keepers of the Clock.” With a few turns of the key, once again, time whizzes on its merry way. The photograph of Dr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum and their daughter, Marie, comes to life. Nathaniel is the newcomer to this intimate Christmas Eve party, and Marie blushes at his introduction.
Somehow, when Drosselmeyer arrives, amazing things happen. Behind a small door, one of Drosselmeyer’s creations, a delightfully droll wooden nutcracker man, mesmerizes Marie.
When Nathaniel and Marie bump into each other during a round dance, the nutcracker flies from Marie’s hands into the safety of Nathaniel’s arms. The connection is made. The party ends. Marie and Nathaniel coyly say goodnight. In the darkened house, Marie sneaks back into the living room and drifts off to sleep enamored of her new nutcracker. But she is not alone. A band of mice scavenge for holiday crumbs. The room soon shudders as Queen Mouserinks bursts in, grabbing for the potentially tasty nutcracker. Marie bravely protects the mustachioed little man, and this spark of love frees the Nutcracker Prince from within the nut-cracking wood! Now the Nutcracker Prince protects Marie. The Queen and the Prince snatch the hands from the Clock – minutes and hours clash in the air. Marie tangles Queen Mouserinks in her own tail, giving Nutcracker the split-second chance to “dispatch” her.
As Nutcracker pledges his devotion to Marie for saving his life, the mantel clock, already freed of its hands, freezes over with glistening icicles. With time stopped, the midnight living room fades away. Nutcracker and Marie thrill to their fantastic journey through the Land of Snow and onward to the delectable Land of Sweets.
Nutcracker’s kingdom rejoices in his return and celebrates Marie’s valor. Nutcracker is the Crown Prince, but the undisputed rulers of the Land are The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. A surprise cornucopia of entertainment has been prepared. And, indeed, surprises they are - transporting Marie to that neverland reached only just before waking from a delightful dream.
Even wonderful journeys must end. It is Christmas morning. Marie awakes. Can she possibly have traveled to all of those delicious places while she slept? It WAS real. Wasn’t it?