So I left the theatre last night after NUTCRACKER only to realize in the subway station that I had left my program with my scrawled notes & cross-outs and substitutions on my seat. I'll see how memory serves.
(This is my 9th consecutive season of attending NY City Ballet NUTCRACKERs. Prior to 1998 I saw it a couple of times on my visits. Now it's a regular fixture of my season.)
A guest conductor was listed but Maestro Kaplow materialized on the podium with no announcement; considering how often it's played and the use and abuse it has sustained in commercials and cartoons, NUTCRACKER is a wonderful score. The Snow scene and Waltz of the Flowers stand out.
Adam Hendrickson's magical Drosselmeyer and the heart-warming reappearance of two ballerinas who have been missing in action enlivened the party scene. The poised and attractive Gwyneth Muller & Henry Seth (a potential Drosselmeyer himself!) hosted the fete. Adam's characterization continues to deepen and darken. He is a young man but captures the wisdom and gentle irony of maturity. Seeing Kristin Sloan onstage again was a treat, as was sighting the long-absent Ashlee Knapp - both girls looked very fetching. Likolani Brown was a delightful Columbine but my missing program has me stumped as to who her Harlequin was; Giovanni Villalobos was a sturdy Soldier.
Elizabeth Walker led off the Snowflakes - a Southern belle swept into a blizzard. Scheller and Gilliland danced in this scene unannounced. The choreography is tricky here, especially dancing "on ice". The girls all danced through the eventual snow squall with flair.
Choosing NUTCRACKERs to attend is usually based on who is dancing Sugar Plum and Dewdrop. I like to see women in these roles I haven't seen dance them for a while or who are dancing them for the first time. It has been quite a few seasons since I last saw Maria Kowroski's SPF and she has been dancing so beautifully since her comeback. Tonight she radiated calm authority in the opening solo. Appearing in the sorbet tutu, the legendary Kowroski legs ideally displayed, she and Charles Askegard gave us a grand pas de deux that was truly grand. The sweep and elegance of Maria's dancing and her uncanny extension were expertly shown off by Mr. Askegard's astute partnering. My impression is that this adagio is very difficult - we've seen it so often that maybe we take it for granted that the dancers will succeed; but to me the wrist catches, the flying leaps to the man's shoulder, the myriad pirouettes, the ride on the metal plate, the balances - all are a test of skill. In the coda, Chuck delivered a barrage of turns; then Maria swept back onstage and they polished off the piece with the audience cheering.
Savannah Lowery's delicious Hot Chocolate with Adrian Danchig-Waring's long-legged elegance led off the divertissement. Wei & I are huge fans of Faye Arthurs and she was splendid in Arabian - the amazing extension and the slow, languorous full split. In the finale, she brilliantly sustained the attitude poses before flying off with a big leap. Daniel Ulbricht (Tea) burst out of his magic box, ran forward, flew up in the air and nailed a sensational burst of turns. Daniel transformed this very short solo into a star turn. Aaron Severini's feather-weight Candy Cane was brilliant also; he leapt through the hoop with skill and a big dollop of charm. The Marzipan choreography - I have been told - is extremely demanding. Ana Sophia Scheller, one of the most fantastic dancers in this fantastic Company, danced it with virtuosity and dazzling charisma. I simply love watching her. Rob Fairchild's Mother Ginger was poised and somewhat demure.
The Waltz of the Flowers always presents the dilemma: who to watch? Aside from the two soloists there are always corps girls in this number who demand my attention. Melissa Barak and Ashley Laracey in the leads compounded the problem since I love watching them both; they are so lyrical and gracious. I was able to quickly sneak a peak at the riveting Kaitlyn G, the delightful Amanda Hankes and Lauren King, and two quietly blooming beauties Dara Johnson & Ellen Ostrom; and then Megan Fairchild's Dewdrop took over the stage and I couldn't pry the opera glasses off her.
Fairchild is a dancer who has slowly conquered me; I was indifferent to her when she first joined the Company but with each passing season and new role she has developed her stage savvy and built on her technique in an impressive way. "Resistance is futile!" - her brilliant dancing in the pas de quatre of SWAN LAKE erased any lingering reservations and as Dewdrop she was thrilling. Her intriguing combination of technical strength and girlish delicacy were shown to fine advantage in the difficulties of this choreography. The precision of the turns, the flashing jumps and pristine balances were all Fairchild's to give and she delighted the audience. The best kind of fan is the fan you have won over, and I'll be looking forward to her performances in the future.
All is well with the world when Elizabeth Walker is leading the snowflakes! Thanks for the report Oberon. Your absolutely right about the score of The Nutcracker. It's actually my favorite of the big three Tchaikovsky ballet scores. It's magical and luminous and very moving to me.
Posted by: perky | November 26, 2006 at 05:27 PM
Thanks for the detailed review! You have inspired me to try to see as many "Nuts" as I can before I leave town. Ack! My bank account does NOT thank you. ;-) (I'll probably only get to two anyway)
Posted by: Sandi | November 29, 2006 at 12:09 AM