Milwaukee Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’ Works Like Magic

×

Expand

Photo by Mark Frohna

Glittering and slightly menacing decorations frame the enormous stage at the Marcus Center for the three-week run of Milwaukee Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Like everything about this visually gorgeous production, that extra bit of fairy tale dressing represents care taken. Michael Pink’s ballet is both sturdy and fragile. Mishaps can occur when wondrous effects are created by a large offstage crew as a large cast, many of them children, engages in wild maneuvers onstage. I’m glad to say that at the opening matinee on Dec. 11, everything worked like magic.

From the ridiculously delicate opening bars of the Miniature Overture to the aching romanticism of the Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux, Tchaikovsky’s score keeps opening doors on emotional universes; yet even the most amazing passages are clearly meant for dancing. Conducted by Pasquale Laurino, the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra did the score full justice. Pink’s choreography works in cahoots with every swell and hush. It’s thrilling to see a dancer time virtuosic movements to music in ways that also strengthen characterization and tell a story. The rare missteps only show how difficult it is.

This time-tested production is highly detailed and well understood by the performers. As always, Pink’s choreography presents dancers as vulnerable human beings—or dolls or geese, flowers or snowflakes. Whatever, David Grill lights them beautifully. Their costumes, developed over decades, are attractive or silly, as required. In beauty, the dancers’ only rivals are some inexhaustibly charming carousel set pieces.

Bring your children; they’ll never forget it. The child cast changes from performance to performance, as does the casting of company dancers. On Saturday, the performers from the Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy were very fine. Luz San Miguel’s transformation into the child Clara was astounding; her luminous presence anchored the performance. Barry Molina made the child Fritz puppy-like, endearing despite the character’s hyperactive need for attention. As the young lovers Marie and Karl, Annia Hidalgo and Alexandre Ferreira were beautifully partnered, sharing an empathy that added depth to the virtuosic demands of the roles. Marc Petrocci and Susan Gartell were spectacular dolls. Parker Brasser-Vos was an outstanding Chinese dance soloist. I enjoyed Gerardo Olivares Avelar’s gentle style as Mother Ginger. Others will shine in these and other roles in performances through Dec. 27.