2007 NUTCRACKER #4

Saturday December 15, 2007 matinee - This was the New York City Ballet NUTCRACKER performance with so many young dancers taking on new roles, chief among them being Kathryn Morgan's debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Since I'm sure everyone will want to know how Ms. Morgan did, I will say immediately she was truly gorgeous in the role from start to finish. She is an extremely pretty young woman, and she is one of those dancers who 'sings' her music - in a full & youthful lyric soprano. In her opening solo Kathryn was so charming, avoiding an overly-sweet approach  for something altogether more poetic. Her technique is strong and silky, with lovely hands and arms and strikingly mature femininity. Her sense of the music is a profound asset. She had the good fortune of having the princely Gonzalo Garcia as her Cavalier and they were excellent together, so attractive and  poised. The lurking perils of the pas de deux failed to deter this young couple who gave the appearance of having danced it together many times. The tricky wrist catches could be polished up just a bit, but everything else went beautifully. (They really do need to do something about that plate that the SPF glides on; it's so jerky. Surely in this high-tech age there's a remedy. This is not the dancers' fault.) Gonzalo was really spiffy in the coda and he and Katie swept on to a joyous conclusion, drawing an enthusiastic response from the packed house.

Savannah Lowery also enjoyed waves of applause throughout her debut performance as Dewdrop. Since my first NYCB NUTCRACKER many years ago when Colleen Neary danced an unforgettable Dewdrop, I have seen many wonderful interpretations of the role - from prima donna to scintillating pixie. Savannah's dancing was large in scale, technically assured and generous of personality. I liked her a lot, and so did the crowd. Rachel Piskin, the new Marzipan, was likewise an emphatic success. Her assured pirouettes and lovely expression were delightful. Earlier she was a most attractive 'first snowflake' with a nice floating jump.

Maya Collins (role debut) & Rob Fairchild led the Spanish contingent; they looked superb and danced very well. Ellen Ostrom was new to Arabian. With her long legs, cool expression and sinuous line she was very well-cast. Apprentice Matthew Renko was a flashing Tea - this piece is so short and so difficult! Allen Peiffer debuted as Candy Cane and was doing very well til the end of the solo which mis-fired. I've seen this happen many times over the years and Allen knew exactly what he had to do: he came bursting out in the finale, nailed three double hoops and soared off in a spacious leap. Excellent! Christian Tworzyanski was a kindly Mother Ginger. Faye Arthurs and her sister shepherdesses (Dronova - replacing Hankes - Lauren King and Ashley Laracey) were a treat, and you can't begin to imagine how much I loved watching Pauline Golbin & Glenn Keenan leading the Waltz. The flower bouquet included the unannounced Kaitlyn & Gwyneth.

Gwyneth was a particularly radiant Frau Stahlbaum today, her long arms and elegant hands are so expressive. Jason Fowler was the tall Doctor and Adam Hendrickson repeated his fantastic Drosselmeyer. Likolani Brown and Lauren King are real-live dolls and Anthony Huxley made a sprightly debut as the Soldier. Among the guests, the beautiful blonde Sophie Flack was unable to resist the dessert tray - now there's a girl after my own heart! Henry Seth was an extra-vivid Mouse King - when do we get Henry's Drosselmeyer?   Dronova and Laracey were among the dazzlers in Snowflakes and I found myself mesmerized by the beauteous Bergstrom.

It was to good see several of the apprentices and corps kids in the audience, cheering on their colleagues. Maestro Kaplow gave generous support to all those who were new to their roles, and Arturo Delmoni's ravishing violin solo seemed to me to be subtly embellished today.

Comments

[Bob]

Yes, that was a memorable performance today, with some wonderful debuts, led by Kathryn Morgan's truly beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy, characterized by impeccable technique and exceptional clarity and musicality (and she was superbly partnered by Gonzalo Garcia). Savannah Lowery also gave us a very strong Dewdrop and Rachel Piskin was an extremely charming Marzipan shepherdess. A tip of the hat,too, to Allen Peiffer for his admirable recovery from his earlier Candy Cane slip-up. And while it was not a debut, you're right - Adam Hendrickson's Drosselmeyer is a special treat. Amazing that after all these years of watching Balanchine's Nutcracker, I never tire of it. One of the reasons why, in addition to the fact that it is a genuine masterpiece in its genre, is the fact that one can see so many different casts with so many different marvelous dancers bringing their own personalities and unique artistry to the roles.

[Philip]

Yes, the opportunity to see such a wide variety of interpretations makes NUTZ a constant joy. And - despite the fact that the music gets played to death everywhere this time of year - it really is a wonderful score.

[Sandi]

Phillip,
Thank you so much for your detailed report on today's matinee. I so wanted to go, but had to christmas carol. I am going to try to catch Katie at another performance. Don't know if I'll make it to Nutz this year. :-(
I was thinking of all the debutantes this morning as I got ready to go out.. hoping that they would have a wonderful performance, and it sounds like they did!

[Philip]

Hi Sandi...Christmas caroling is lots of fun; it got pretty brisk this afternoon so I hope you bundled up.

Have you gotten settled in Inwood?

[perky]

Thank you Phillip for your post! I've been out of action due to complications from major surgery for about 2 1/2 weeks. I'm so glad to be reading about ballet again!!!
The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier pas de deux is one of my favorite Balanchine pas. It's extremely difficult and requires attentive partnering from the man. These are mature lovers dancing for us, not kids, which the music hints at with its sweep and grandeur and even a little bit of sadness. It's just a ravishing piece of music.
My favorite Sugar Plum?
Merrill Ashley
Sugar Plum I would have liked to have seen?
Suzanne Farrell and Allegra Kent.

[Philip]

Perky, I hope your post-surgery convalescence is on an upward spiral...don't rush it; this is not a bad time of year to stay indoors resting, reading, watching movies and listening to music.

Merrill Ashley was my first SPF! I always wished that I'd seen Gelsey Kirkland do it.

[Sandi]

Perky, I hope you are recovering well!
Philip, I am gettin settled. I actualy carol for a company, and most of the time we are mercifully not outdoors. :-)
I too wish I had seen Gelsey and Suzanne dance SPF.

[Philip]

Indoor caroling is fun too, especially if you get some treats along the way...

[Laura]

My favorite Dew Drop this season has to be Ashley Bouder - she literally brought tears to my eyes a couple of nights ago when she danced it! I was at the Saturday afternoon performance and there were many NYCB dancers standing in their designated section watching all the debuts. I even saw Peter Martins and Darci Kistler in the crowd, no doubt wanting to see the whole thing from the audience. It was a great show.

[Philip]

Bouder is a fascinating Dewdrop - her astonishing technique allows her to really play with the steps and the phrasing so every time you see her in it, it's a little bit different.

[Bob]

I've been going to Nutcracker for more than 25 years and I can honestly say that in my humble opinion, Ashley Bouder is the best Dewdrop I have EVER seen (and takes into account some very great ballerinas over the years). And yes, Saturday's matinee was indeed a great show - another reminder of what a tremendous reservoir of young talent there is at NYCB.

[Laura]

I agree 100% about Ashley Bouder being the best Dew Drop out there. Her performance reminded me why we pay to watch others dance. It's not just enough to be a Principal Dancer or have flashy technique. She has that rare quality of being able to remind you why you go to the ballet. I happened to see her in the elevator the next day and I congratulated her on her wonderful performance. She was very kind and gracious.