KEITH MICHAEL’S THE NUTCRACKER

New York Theatre Ballet

Giulia Faria,  Interim Artistic Director

Sophie Blue, Managing Director

 

Dancers:

Julia Felippi

Isaac A. Garcia

Nick Meyers

Giana Parlin

Matthew Prescott

Omar Rodriguez

Samantha Sacks

Kristina Shaw

Sarah Stafford

Colby Treat

Mitchell Welsh

Sarah Simon Wolff

With Children from New York Theatre Ballet School

 

Keith Michael’s The Nutcracker

Choreography by Keith Michael

Music by Peter Tchaikovsky

Costume Design by Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan

Scenery Design and Original Painting by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith

Properties Design and Construction by Herbert Kuhn

Construction and Painting by Adirondack Studios

 

---

 

Godfather Drosselmeyer’s Nephew Nathaniel — Mitchell Welsh

Godfather Drosselmeyer — Nick Meyers

The Tick Tocks — Aspen Leong*, Claire Li*, Chenyi Fang*

 

---

 

The Party

Marie Stahlbaum — Sarah Stafford

Mother Stahlbaum — Sarah Wolff

Doctor Stahlbaum — Matthew Prescott

 

---

 

The Battle

The Mice — Children from NYTB School

Queen Mouserinks — Kristina Shaw/Colby Treat

The Mounted Soldiers — Children from NYTB School

The Nutcracker Prince — Mitchell Welsh

 

---

 

The Land of Snow

Snow Pas de Deux

Marie and The Nutcracker Prince — Sarah Stafford, Mitchell Welsh

Snowflakes and Frost —

Giana Parlin, Julia Felippi,

Samantha Sacks, Kristina Shaw,

Isaac A. Garcia, Omar Rodriguez

 

---

 

The Land of Sweets

The Sugar Plum Fairy — Sarah Wolff

Her Cavalier — Matthew Prescott

The Sugar Plumlets — Children from NYTB School

 

---

 

The Divertissements

Lace — Giana Parlin/Kristina Shaw

Shadows — Julia Felippe/Colby Treat, Omar Rodriguez

Chopsticks — Audrey Cen*, Ludovica Russo*

Boules — Aspen Leong*, Claire Li*, Chenyi Fang*

Harlequin & Arlequina — Samantha Sacks, Isaac Garcia

Marzipan Shepherdess and Marzipan Sheep — Colby Treat with

Children from NYTB School

Waltz of the Flowers — Julia Felippe, Giana Parlin,

Kristina Shaw

 

---

 

Grand Pas de Deux

The Sugar Plum Fairy — Sarah Wolff

& Her Cavalier — Matthew Prescott

 

---

 

Finale

The Company

 

*New York Theatre Ballet School students

 

The clock is ticking. It is Christmas Eve 1907 in a grand house on a grand street in a grand city. We are looking in on The Stahlbaum’s elaborate Art Nouveau mantelpiece – a clock, a ceramic Christmas tree, a framed photograph. Godmother Drosselmeyer’s Nephew Nathaniel, an enchanted young man, is tidying up before the evening festivities. He fantasizes, “When will I return as Crown Prince to my beloved magical land? Maybe tonight!” 

The clock has stopped and must be wound. Drosselmeyer, the Clockmaker, is discovered dreaming inside its gears and flywheels, as are her Tick Tock “Keepers of the Clock.” With a few turns of the key, once again, time whizzes on its merry way. The photograph of Dr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum and their daughter, Marie, comes to life. Nathaniel is the newcomer to this intimate Christmas Eve party, and Marie blushes at his introduction. 

Somehow, when Drosselmeyer arrives, amazing things happen. Behind a small door, one of Drosselmeyer’s creations, a delightfully droll wooden nutcracker man, mesmerizes Marie. 

When Nathaniel and Marie bump into each other during a round dance, the nutcracker flies from Marie’s hands into the safety of Nathaniel’s arms. The connection is made. The party ends. Marie and Nathaniel coyly say goodnight. In the darkened house, Marie sneaks back into the living room and drifts off to sleep enamored of her new nutcracker. But she is not alone. A band of mice scavenge for holiday crumbs. The room soon shudders as Queen Mouserinks bursts in, grabbing for the potentially tasty nutcracker. Marie bravely protects the mustachioed little man, and this spark of love frees the Nutcracker Prince from within the nut-cracking wood! Now the Nutcracker Prince protects Marie. The Queen and the Prince snatch the hands from the Clock – minutes and hours clash in the air. Marie tangles Queen Mouserinks in her own tail, giving Nutcracker the split-second chance to “dispatch” her.

As Nutcracker pledges his devotion to Marie for saving his life, the mantel clock, already freed of its hands, freezes over with glistening icicles. With time stopped, the midnight living room fades away. Nutcracker and Marie thrill to their fantastic journey through the Land of Snow and onward to the delectable Land of Sweets. 

Nutcracker’s kingdom rejoices in his return and celebrates Marie’s valor. Nutcracker is the Crown Prince, but the undisputed rulers of the Land are The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. A surprise cornucopia of entertainment has been prepared. And, indeed, surprises they are – transporting Marie to that neverland reached only just before waking from a delightful dream. 

Even wonderful journeys must end. It is Christmas morning. Marie awakes. Can she possibly have traveled to all of those delicious places while she slept? It WAS real. Wasn’t it?               

Keith Michael