"THE NUTCRACKER," through Dec. 26, Ballet West, Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South (801-869-6900 or balletwest.org)
Like the departure of an old friend, watching the soon-to-be retired costumes, sets and scenery of Ballet West’s "The Nutcracker" was, for many patrons, a sentimental journey.
As the company kicked off another "Nutcracker" season over the weekend, (continuing through Dec. 26), it presented a visually arresting and polished spectacle that blends magical wonder with disciplined technique in a timeless production.
Yet the company is aiming for a “new” "Nutcracker" next year. While the choreography will remain unchanged, much of the current look will undergo a drastic makeover.
"The Nutcracker" is the company’s big show — the time of year when, right alongside the regular ballet patrons, thousands more flock to the Capitol Theatre for their annual ballet fix. As usual, the company didn’t disappoint, despite the sense that each dancer and member of the production team could possibly do it in his or her sleep.
Instead, it continues to feel fresh, thanks to the meticulous attention to detail afforded this highly theatrical ballet. Each tiara glittered, every gift donned a velvety ribbon, the tutus were symmetrically fluffed and not a snow flurry fluttered where it shouldn’t. Ballet West Orchestra played the beloved Tchaikovsky score with panache; the dancers were radiant, joyous and light on their feet and even the children displayed tidy lines, synchronous limbs and high smiles.
Of special distinction during the opening-night performance on Friday were Beckanne Sisk and Christopher Ruud, dancing as Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. The quintessential Sugar Plum couple, they sparkled with joy, daring to outdo themselves from previous years. Sisk’s elasticity and lilting grace make her sky-high extensions seem second nature. Ruud’s leaps were both boundless and frothy and his turns were impeccably executed with an offhand ease.
Beau Pearson was another standout. A versatile dancer who has become a master at character roles, he has made Dr. Drosselmeyer and Mother Buffoon his very own. Pearson’s Drosselmeyer is less mysterious and brooding than in other interpretations, and much more eccentric and swaggering — as if perhaps he has a screw loose. As Mother Buffoon, he kept the audience in delighted stitches with his flirtatious sass.
Ballet West has, over the past year, displayed set replicas and costume designs to its patrons, donors and friends to garner support and generate excitement for an even more lavish "Nutcracker" production in 2017. Founder Willam Christensen’s choreography will remain intact, but because the visual elements will change, this year’s production felt like a fond farewell of sorts.
Created in 1944, according to Christensen's obituary in the Deseret News, the unpretentious choreography and slower pace of Christensen’s "Nutcracker" — America’s first — has always lent to its vintage charm. Old-fashioned theatrical effects such as dry-ice machines and plastic snow flurries drive a nostalgic feel, as do live singers in the orchestra pit during the snow scene and around-the-world sketches in Act II.
This charmingly antique assortment of characters transports audiences to a different era: the snake-charming Arabian in his turban and harem pants, the Spanish matador in all his regalia, or the Chinese dancers with their shimmering dragon. Likewise, Mother Buffoon and the Russian Trepak showcase vaudevillian stage tricks that nod to a bygone era.
One wonders to what extent the elements — which are not all originals to the first production by any means but have been mainstays for over 30 years — will be missed as Ballet West’s "Nutcracker" plunges into the 21st century.
Perhaps the sudden nostalgia made everything rosier and more sharply in focus, but the Ballet West dancers seemed stronger, more striking and — most importantly for this particular production — more joyous than in memory. Patrons should take the chance to see it all one last time before the old "Nutcracker" is gone for good.
Content advisory: The ballet contains some sword play. The party scene includes wine-filled goblets and pipe-smoking.