Cleveland Orchestra sublime, The Nutcracker uninspired

When the Cleveland Ballet left this area for San Jose, California, in 2000, it is rumored that the organization was over one-million dollars in debt.  Lots of fingers were pointed as to why the deficit existed, but one thing is for sure, there will always be, it the minds of those who saw it, one lasting legacy of Dennis Nahat and his reign as the company’s Artistic Director.  From its 1979 debut, when it sold out every night of its two-week run, until its escape to the west coast, Nahat’s THE NUTCRACKER reigned supreme.

Since that departure, many venues have attempted to fill the void by bringing in alternate companies to perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s THE NUTCRACKER, based on E. T. A. Hoffman’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”  Dance groups from Russia, Canada and varying parts of the U. S. have come here to dance the wonders of The Snowflakes, and the exploits of The Sugarplum Fairy, Marie, and The Nutcracker. 

Unfortunately, and the present production staged by the Pennsylvania Ballet included, none have been able to duplicate the sheer joy of watching the then “wunderkinds,” Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodriguez, dance Marie and The Nutcracker.  No one has entranced and delighted a “Nutcracker” audience as Nahat, himself, performing Herr Drosselmeier, complete with magic tricks and giving the gift of the nutcracker to our heroine.

Nahat’s opulent production told the story as a dream-come-true.  It had a clear beginning, middle and end.  It had visual beauty, real dancing, not just dancers walking around and falling into poses.  The second act pas de deux was breathtaking, filled with high twists and leaps, marvelous toe work, there was an exciting battle between the rats and the wooden soldiers, and delightful interludes.  The dances of the nations were filled with country-specific choreography.   The costumes, the growing Christmas tree, the falling snow, the scenery, all of which was a major part of the cause of the Ballet’s deficit, may have broken the financial back of the organization, but it delighted the eye and made the soul soar.

One thing Nahat’s version didn’t have was the Cleveland Orchestra, under the direction of Brett Mitchell, playing Tchaikovsky’s glorious, pulse-increasing music.  The Pennsylvania Ballet was blessed with the sound of the world-class musicians, normally housed in Severance Hall or taking much-praised journeys to Miami Beach and Europe.  Nahat also didn’t have the angelic voices of the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus, to create the vocal segments of the score.  Yes, the musical segments of the evening were sublime, gorgeous.

George Balanchine’s choreography of THE NUTCRACKER, the version presented by the Pennsylvania Ballet, lacks the panache and storytelling of the Nahat version.  The tale has no clear beginning, middle and end.  Much to the delight of the many parents and grandparents in the audience, the stage is filled with many children, in this case, “Children Supernumeraries,” who came from across Northeast Ohio to audition, rehearse and appear in the production.   Many appeared to be quite talented in walking around the stage, dancing a little, and staying in character.  The few Pennsylvania Ballet’s company members were quite competent, but none were truly outstanding. 

In this version of the tale, Marie doesn’t dance, and The Nutcracker/Little Prince has one segment where he re-explains the Rat-Wooden Soldiers battle, in over-wrought pantomime. 

Capsule judgment:  Those who hadn’t seen the Nahat choreography of The Nutcracker should be perfectly happy with the Pennsylvania Ballet version, as evidenced by the reluctant, but eventual standing ovation of many in the very crowded theatre.  It is worth going to hear the Cleveland Orchestra play the score, take in the familiar tale, or what there is of it, and be thankful that there is, at least, an attempt to bring this, the greatest holiday ballet in the lexicon of the Western world, to a PlayhouseSquare stage.
 UPCOMING DANCE CLEVELAND CONCERTS
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Ohio Dance Theatre and Verb Ballets
The Nutcracker, December 16-18, 2016 at the Stocker Arts Center on the campus of Lorain County Community College 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria, OH
Tickets:  440-366-4040 or verballets.org
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Dance Theatre of Harlem, January 21, 2017--3 and 7:30 PM at Ohio Theatre

Jessica Lange Dance, March 4, 2017—7:30 PM at Ohio Theatre

Ballet Biarritz presents Cinderella—April 1, 2017 @ 7:30 PM and April 2, 2017 @ 3 PM at Ohio Theatre

Tickets:  216-991-9000 or dancecleveland.org
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CLEVELAND BALLET

On January 27, 2017, A Celebration of Dance and Music returns to the Hanna Theatre.  The program, a remounting of the company’s October 11, 2016 successful program, includes original dances choreographed by Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe and Ramon Thielen.
Tickets:  playhousesquare.org

The Nutcracker--Pennsylvania Ballet (Playhouse Square Center)

Pennsylvania Ballet's ‘THE NUTCRACKER’ disappoints

When the Cleveland-San Jose Ballet fled the North Coast for the warmer climes of California, it took with it their version of ‘THE NUTCRACKER,’ one of the area’s long time holiday traditions. Playhouse Square Center, in need of a holiday offering, for several seasons brought in the delightful Radio City Rockettes and their holiday program. This year, as part of their Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital Ballet Season 2003-2004, the decision was made to bring in the highly touted Pennsylvania Ballet with their ‘NUTCRACKER.’

No one who saw the CSJB version will ever mistake what the Pennsylvania Ballet presented as its equal. Yes, the sets, the costumes and the music were wonderful, but there was a lack of magic on stage.

This production, with a cast mainly made up of children and youth, lacked the delight and the compelling charm necessary to truly bring to life George Balanchine’s wonderful choreography. Because of the abilities of the youth, there was a lot of walking and little real dancing.

Rather than having the likes of Raymond Rodriquez and Karen Gabay dancing the Little Prince and Princess, we had two pre-teens walking around the stage. In the second act, in place of the Little Prince’s wonderful dance solo we had a young boy standing in the middle of the stage pantomiming the story that enfolded in the first act. As the little girl seated next to me asked aloud, “What’s he doing?”

The fight sequences between the mice and the wooden soldiers, which usually brings squeals of delight from the children in the audience, lacked creativity. The children who played wooden soldiers walked, they didn’t march or dance and the huge mice were less than entertaining.

Even the adult dancers were no more than competent. The Snowflake sequence lacked enchantment, even though the lighting and the falling snow cast the right spell.

There is a wonderful dance sequence near the end of the ballet in which we see the Sugarplum Fair and her Cavalier cavort. Dede Barfield and Alexei Borovik showed no emotional connection. Borovik’s flying leaps, which, if properly done usually bring gasps of joy from an audience were met with mild applause. He failed to get much lift or execute the movements parallel to the speed of the music. Barfield’s toe-work, especially in the sequence when she was pulled across the stage by her partner to imitate an ice-skating effect was fine, but there was a lack of fire in her moves.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Pennsylvania Ballet’s ‘THE NUTCRACKER’ lacked magic. Kids are cute, but ballet requires dancers, proficient dancers. As the ballet ended, I glanced over at the velvet dressed young lady next to me, now fast asleep in her father’s arms. All I could think was, “Dennis Nahat and the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, where are you now that we need you?”