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The Nutcracker
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Hippodrome
***** SIR Peter
Wright, celebrating his 90th
birthday, summed up the opening night of BRB’s Christmas season of his
Nutcracker perfectly – sensational. The ballet was Sir Peter’s gift to Birmingham
when the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet moved from London to become the
Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1990 and 26 years on it is as fresh and
sumptuous as when it was created by Sir Peter, then artistic director
and now director laureate of the company. It is debatable whether any company these days
would contemplate the cost of producing such a lavish production, the
sets and costumes from John Macfarlane are just magnificent, a
masterpiece of the theatre designer’s art with brilliant stage
transformations which even in these days of CGI with everything are
still breathtaking. Then there is the music, the symphonic score from
Tchaikovsky full of familiar melodies, played beautifully, as always, by
the Royal Ballet Sinfonia under Nicolette Fraillon, the chief conductor
of The Australian Ballet since 2003, and only woman music director of a
ballet company in the world. Peter Wright’s celebrated BRB production is also
an established part of The Australian Ballet’s repertoire so she is no
stranger to the score and she will be guesting on 10 of the 26
performances. Beautiful music,
wonderful set, charming story and we haven’t even got to the dancing,
which was exceptional. This was Sir Peter’s 90th
birthday present from the cast – and it showed with an energy and
enthusiasm that was infectious. The Nutcracker is unusual in full length
classical ballets in that it is packed with solo and small ensemble
parts which gives the rising stars of a company the chance to shine. And positively glowing was first artist Karla
Doorbar who was a delight as the ballet student Clara, giving an air of
young innocence and dancing quite beautifully. One to watch. James Barton in the Russian Dance. Picture: Roy Smiljanic Artist Aitor Galande and first artist Lewis
Turner amused with the precision Chinese dance while soloist Arancha
Baselga impressed as The Rose Fairy. Soloist James Barton, first artist Max Maslen and
artist Alexander Bird had the high energy job in the Russian dance,
which must be an exhausting few minutes with more than a hint of Cossack
about it, while first artists Ruth Brill, Reina Fuchigami, Jade Heusen
and artist Emily Smith were notable as the Mirlitons. Barton was also the Nutcracker doll in the battle
with the king of the rats danced by Yasuo Atsuji. Among the principals Céline Gittens exudes
sensuality in the Arabian dance while Samara Downs is imperious as The
Snow Fairy. The story is simple. It is Christmas Eve at the
home of Dr Stahlbaum where guests are entertained by a magician
Drosselmeyer, danced by Jonathan Payn, and his assistant, danced by
Barton again, who seems to pop up everywhere. Drosselmayer, hands out presents, including a
Nutcracker doll for Clara, and provides entertainment in the shape of
dancing dolls Harlequin, danced by Kit Holder and Columbine, danced by
Maureya Lebowitz, and a Jack-in-the-box danced by Tzu-Chao Chou, watched
by children from Elmhurst School for Dance, the boys providing enjoyable
mischief. The guests depart, the family go to bed and
daughter Clara creeps downstairs in the darkness and
Her Nutcracker and her brother Fritz’s toy
soldiers have to battle the rats and their king who swarm from the
fireplace before Drosselmayer takes Clara to the Land of Snow and the
adventure begins. Momoko Hirata as the Sugar Plum Fairy
and Joseph Caley as the Prince The second act opens with Clara arriving to
applause in another special effect to land in a fantastic land where
Drosselmayer becomes the MC of a dances from around the world leading up
to Clara transforming into the Sugar Plum fairy, the ballerina she
dreams of becoming, while her nutcracker is transformed into a handsome
prince. And that brought BRB’s own MoJo to the fore with
Momoko Hirata and Joseph Caley. Momoko is a wonderful dancer, dainty,
delicate, precise with such quick feet while we have seen Joseph Caley
mature over the years. He has always had the technique and talent but
has added the ability of the best dancers to make everything he does
look quite effortless, even easy. The pair dance beautifully together
and their Grand pas de deux is a highlight among so many memorable
moments. Their dance heralds another transformation as
Clara’s world disappears and reality returns and she awakes at the foot
of her Christmas tree with her Nutcracker doll - her dream is over. BRB’s Nutcracker is a Christmas treat for many
Midlanders, even making the start of the festive season for some, and
for anyone who has never seen a ballet but wondered what it is all
about, this is a perfect introduction. The music is popular and familiar, with pieces on
any Classical greatest hits album, there is plenty of variety in the
dances and it is an easy to follow story for Christmas. Sir Peter’s gift has become a tradition, as much
part of Birmingham’s annual festivities as a Christmas tree and lights,
as a well-known lager might have said, this is probably the best
Nutcracker in the world. Don’t miss it. To 13-12-16 Roger Clarke 25-11-16 The matinee of The Nutcracker on Tuesday, 29 November will be another landmark for Sir Peter's production, BRB's 500th performance! Tickets for The Nutcracker at
Birmingham Hippodrome in 2017 are now on sale, 24 November to 13
December.
Samara Downs as The Snow Fairy More festive fare
***** HOW fitting that Sir Peter Wright
celebrated his 90th birthday on opening night of the latest Nutcracker
which seems better than ever. The former artistic director of the BRB created
this sumptuous ballet as a gift to Birmingham in 1990 when the Sadler's
Wells Royal Ballet moved to the city, and it has been a huge success
story. On Friday night it was the company’s turn to hand
Sir Peter a gift with a truly magnificent version of a story that has
become a traditional warm-up to Christmas in the West Midlands, and it’s
difficult to imagine anything replacing it as it approaches its 500th
performance. Once again the quality of dancing, costumes and
scenery is breathtaking, while Tchaikovsky’s music played by the Royal
Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Niolette Fraillon, musIcal director of the
Australian Ballet, is a joy. The story opens on Christmas Eve at Dr and Mrs
Stahlbaum’s home where they are entertaining guests at a party, and
their ballet student daughter, Clara, receives the gift of a wooden
nutcracker in the form of a soldier, and when, unable to sleep later she
creeps downstairs at midnight to start a fantastic journey in the care
of the magician, Drosselmeyer (Jonathan Payn) The eye-popping events begin with the family
Christmas tree soaring to an enormous size, followed by the fireplace
expanding and giant rats, led by their king (Yasuo Atsuji), bursting
from the fames to battle with the toy soldiers Clara, superbly played by Karla Doorbar, provides
a spectacular opening to the second act, flying across stage on a giant
snow goose to arrive in a fantastic world conjured up by Drosselmeyer,
and she joins remarkable dancers from several countries, including the
nutcracker, now a Prince. Joseph Caley excels as the prince, dancing
superbly with Momoko Hirata whose performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy is
memorable, earning bursts of applause and cries of ‘bravo’. Happy birthday, Sir Peter, and many thanks for
this unforgettable, everlasting gift to the city and the people. Paul Marston
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Index page
Hippodrome
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as
midnight strikes the magic begins with a stage transformation which 26
years on is still spectacular thanks to well-rehearsed precision timing
by the excellent stage crew.