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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2008 > December > 08 > Entry
Review: Ballet Austin’s ‘The Nutcracker’
Something magical happened to Ballet Austin’s production of ‘The Nutcracker,’ now at the Long Center for the first time.
It glitters like never before.
After years in the University of Texas’ Bass Concert Hall — and last year spent at the Paramount Theatre while the Long Center finished construction and the Bass was under renovation — ‘The Nutcracker’ has landed in its new home with a re-invigorated splash of sugar and spice.
Maybe it’s the Long Center’s sharp acoustics that make Tchaikovsky’s romantic score sparkle. (The necessary use of recorded music last year at the Paramount gave the show a dreary feel.) Guest conductor Jeff Eckstein led the Austin Symphony Orchestra in an engaging performance.
Maybe it’s the excitement of performing in a new permanent venue built just for Austin’s top trio of performing arts groups (Ballet Austin, Austin Symphony Orchestra and Austin Lyric Opera). Across the cast Saturday night, the dancers projected verve and excitement. They have room to breathe on the Long Center stage and it showed Saturday night with bright, animated performances. Rebecca Johnson and Edward McPherson gave an inspired and flirty performance as the pair of Arabian dancers. As the Sugar Plum Fairy, Aara Krumpe kept the multiple pirouettes full of pop. And Allisyn Paino’s Snow Queen was utter elegance.
Then again maybe it’s Tony Tucci’s refreshed lighting scheme that gives this ‘Nutcracker’ a pretty new shimmery look. Tucci washes the magical Land of Snow with soft violet shades and adds some fun special effects when Clara’s house morphs into a dreamlike world. And to the Land of the Sweets, Tucci adds nice touches of subtle motion and shifting mood.
Thanks to the Long Center’s superb sight lines, the pretty freshness of this ‘Nutcracker’ projects even up in the balcony where the budget-minded can find seats for $12 to $45. (The show runs about 2 hours and 10 minutes including intermissions.)
And after a year’s hiatus, the guest Mother Ginger role is back. Who doesn’t enjoy watching a local personality goof it up while dressed in a giant red hoop skirt?
And who wouldn’t enjoy letting this ‘Nutcracker’ transport them away?
Ballet Austin’s ‘The Nutcracker.’ Photo by Jay Janner.
‘The Nutcracker’ continues 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18-23, 2 p.m. Dec. 20-21 at the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Tickets are $15-$71. 512-476-2163, www.balletaustin.org
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