The Joffrey Ballet production of The Nutcracker ran for its 25th season this year in Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. Having once seen The Nutcracker ballet as a child, I was delighted to have the opportunity to see this performance once again as an adult; and it certainly was a treat. The venue; The Auditorium Theatre, is an absolutely beautiful place to visit if you've never been there before. It's a very unassuming building from the outside, however,once inside the theatre, you can't help but awe at it's magnificent appearance. I'm not certain if this is the same venue I once saw The Nutcracker as a child, but, the theatre's beautiful gold curtains, adornment and interior decor did feel remarkably familiar to me once I sat down. My girlfriend and I had been anxious to see this performance for months, so were both very excited for the performance to begin once we arrived!
It's Christmas Eve, and Mayor/Mrs. Stahlbaum and their children (Fritz & Clara) are preparing for a wonderful holiday party to celebrate Christmas. As the evening move's on the family's guests soon begin to arrive, and they've all come with a magnitude of gifts for the family to enjoy! The last to arrive, is the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer, Fritz and Clara's godfather, and he has come with a plethora of gifts! He's come with a variety of mechanical dancing dolls to entertain the guests with, and a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a soldier just for Clara. Clara instantly loves her new toy given by her godfather, however in the mists of playing, Fritz and his friends accidentally break the nutcracker that Clara loved so much. To make up for the broken nutcracker, Dr. Drosselmeyer takes Clara on a magical journey to see the Nutcracker Prince and all her toys come to life! It's a classic story I remember clearly from my childhood, and in it's 25th season, the Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker is more fantastic then ever before!
As I sat there watching the performance, I soon came to realize that as a child; you really cannot appreciate the subtleties and beauty that is ballet. The graceful movements of the dancers, the perfected symphany of the orchestra and the passion that everyone has for their roll in the performance. It is all very obvious to an audience. After watching the performace, I can certainly appreciate the dedication that dancers have to ballet. Just how do they stand on their tippy-toes so effortlessly!? The jumping, twirling, and timing of the dancers is all so perfectly matched to the fantastic orchestra music. To explain it into words does not even come close to how great the performance really was. The orchestra, to me, was my favorite. Everything from the oboes to the timpany can be clearly heard throughout the theater, and it was a real treat to hear live and in person. This being the first time I had seen a ballet as an adult, I was really quite moved by the over all performance as I really did not know what to expect going into the theatre.
I am very thankful I was able to experience The Nutcracker ballet again, as it was much more enjoyable experience from when I was a child. I certainly am looking forward to seeing more ballet performances in the future. The Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker is a wonderful show that I think is appropriate for all to see. Though children may not appreciate the beauty of the ballet as much as an adult may; it is still a visually spectacular show that any child would love! The Joffrey's production of The Nutcracker Ballet will still be showing through December 27th. It's a great show to take a date to and an even a better show to take some family to. It's the Holiday season, and a lot of family comes to visit. So for all of you living in the greater Chicagoland area, I highly reccomend taking someone to see this production before it's too late!
If you do happen to miss The Nutcracker ballet this year however, rest assured it will be back next year for it's 26th season in 2012 as Chicago is the true home for Joffrey's, The Nutcracker.
You can visit, www.joffrey.org for more information on the Joffrey ballet company, as well as performance and ticket information on future shows.