Last Sunday, Mimi and I headed into the city for The Boston Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” This is my third time seeing the show in recent years (experiences I’ve written about here on the blog before) and it has slowly become part of my holiday tradition.
Just those first few notes of the March of the Nutcracker in the first act has me smiling like a little kid on Christmas morning.
This was Mimi’s second time seeing the performance and, oh, what a difference a year makes! It didn’t hurt that we have two Nutcracker books at home, so she is intimately familiar with the story. As soon as we sat down, she announced that she just “couldn’t wait” to see the Sugar Plum Fairy and that she wishes she could be Clara.
I love how the Boston Ballet always adds a bit of whimsy and humor to their production, like the big dancing bear during the first act. Mimi found that scene (which also included the ballerina “doll” and harlequin) particularly funny, as she did the scene where the mice are revealed around the stage with every gong of the clock, each striking a unique pose in the spotlight.
I’m particularly fond of the one little black sheep (one of the 220 adorable Boston Ballet students involved in The Nutcracker) among the white sheep in the Pastorale. And Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, of course.
But, like in previous years, my favorite was the Russian Dancers. Oh. My. Goodness. (“Mommy, how does he get his legs like that?” Mimi whispered to me during the scene). I recognized the lead dancer from last year’s produciton and he was as impressive as before, jumping and leaping and moving his body in ways that defy gravity. Wow.
After the performances of the Spanish, Arabian, and Chinese dancers (and Mother Ginger and the shepherdesses) in the second act, it does slow down a little with the Waltz of the Flowers, and the Sugar Plum Fairy’s pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince.It is absolutely breathtaking to watch, but it was a little tough for a 4-year-old who has been sitting in a theater for close to two hours. This was around the time Mimi couldn’t decide whether to sit in her seat or on my lap, but overall, she did great, and nobody was clapping harder at the end during the final curtain call.
Mimi and I ended up spending a few more hours in the city, doing some shopping, riding the T, marveling at the lights in the Boston Common, and treating ourselves to something chocolatey. It was a magical, picture perfect day in the city with my little girl and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the holiday season!The good news is that there is still plenty of time to catch “The Nutcracker,” with performances taking place at the Boston Opera House (a truly majestic setting) until December 31.
Tickets start at $35 and the show is just about two hours long (including intermission). For more information, visit www.bostonballet.org.
Disclaimer: We received complementary tickets to a matinee production of The Nutcracker but all thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own.
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