Above: Rebecca Krohn, photo by Henry Leutwyler
Tuesday December 10th, 2013 - On a cold winter's night, George Balanchine's NUTCRACKER at New York City Ballet worked its magic yet again. Having seen this production more times than you can imagine, it's fun to discover heretofore un-noticed details in the decor: like the gold wedding ring hidden in plain sight in the in the fanciful border of the party scene set. See if you can find it next time you see this ballet.
A guest conductor, Paolo Paroni, brought a sense of drama to the hyper-familiar score; this is music we take for granted, thru over-exposure, but it really is so melodically rich and so thoughtfully orchestrated. Arturo Delmoni played the violin entr'acte in Act I which has now sadly been turned into a late-seating opportunity. A fussy baby was fortunately taken out before the Snowflakes came swrirling onstage.
There are many new faces in the corps, but the featured roles were in familiar hands for the most part. Marika Anderson and Zachary Catazaro were the hosting Stahlbaums and Robert LaFosse's eccentric Drosselmeyer was fueled by surreptitious swigs from a tippler's flask. The appropriately doll-like Claire Van Enck was a fetching Columbine, partnered by Sara Adams, and Devin Alberda's soldier doll was precise and vivid.
Rebecca Krohn's opening solo as the Sugar Plum Fairy was marked by a hint of rubato here and there; the long-limbed ballerina's performance had a lovely aristocratic polish, and she and her courtly cavalier Amar Ramasar moved fluently thru the demands of their pas de deux. Twice Rebecca sprang lightly onto Amar's shoulder, and he swept her into dramatic plunges with assurance. Rebecca's supported arabesques and deep back bends were finely woven into the musical tapestry, with a strikingly sustained climactic balance.
Tiler Peck's Dewdrop was a marvel of technical assurance and grace; as each solo passage evolved, Tiler not only executed every step with sparkling clarity but she also brought distinctive personal touches to her interpretation, with sustained balances and flourishes of remarkably swift pirouettes executed with her hands beautifully crossed over her chest.
Of the various holiday treats on offer at the Kingdom of the Sweets, only Lauren Lovette's charming Marzipan was new to me; Gwyneth Muller and Cameron Dieck (Spanish), Savannah Lowery (Arabian), Antonio Carmena (Chinese), Daniel Ulbricht (Russian) were all in their familiar places and even if they could probably dance these roles in their sleep, they still manage to keep things fresh. How many times do you suppose Daniel has leapt thru that hoop? He's still so exciting to watch.
Megan LeCrone and Brittany Pollack were the leading Flowers in the Waltz, and Andrew Scordato was Mother Ginger. And it's always a pleasure to see Likolani Brown, Mary Elizabeth Sell, and Lydia Wellington onstage.
But a NUTCRACKER season without Amanda Hankes and Christian Tworzyanski just doesn't seem right - they both recently left the Company, and it's our loss. More changes loom ahead, as principal dancers Jenifer Ringer, Janie Taylor, Sebastien Marcovici and Jonathan Stafford will all be making their farewells in the coming weeks. It's bitttersweet to contemplate: while wishing them well, they will be missed both as dancers and and as personalities.