Milwaukee Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ is the Best Dream Ever

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I’ve never been so moved by The Nutcracker as I was at the opening matinee performance of Milwaukee Ballet’s new production. I’ve never before joined the standing ovation with tears streaming down my cheeks; not at any of near-20 times I’ve seen Michael Pink’s earlier version; not last year, when this new rendition subtitled Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium premiered on the Marcus Center mainstage. Some episode or passage always pulled me from the spell, turned me intellectual, and left me waiting for some coming highlight. This year, every moment was a highlight.

Everything flows in Pink’s latest revision. Rather than a series of scenes, it’s a non-stop dream from start to finish. The few moments of silence or stillness are there to heighten the drama, not to draw applause.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beloved music remains the basis for all that happens, and the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra with conductor Pasquale Laurino and music direction by Andrews Sill created that flow. I’ve never heard a better performance.  My tears were tied to it. 

I think my childhood days of dancing to a vinyl record of it on the old phonograph in the basement of our family home were also involved. Parents, bring your children to see this production. They’ll be forever grateful.

Many-Hued, Ever-Changing

I know that Pink will continue to tweak this production in the years ahead, but I can’t see how he could improve it technically. With David Grill’s rich, many-hued and ever-changing dream lighting; Todd Edward Ivans’ evocative, extraordinarily detailed scenery and set pieces; Gregory A. Poplyk’s Oscar-worthy costumes and the huge lion’s head; the lovable mice and floppy flying phoenix bird by Van Orthal puppets; and the perfect execution of the complex scene changes, I can imagine there’s not a better production of The Nutcrackeranywhere. It’s well worth a trip to Milwaukee.

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The dancers remain the focus. In a recent talk, I asked Pink what he loves the most about this show. His answer: “I love the continued exploration by the dancers of the roles they play, and their commitment to that, because as dancers it’s technically very demanding.  We have a lot of new dancers who are learning from the older members of the company. It’s tradition being passed on. It’s exciting for us to see dancers doing these roles for the first time and seeing the ways they’re impacted by the show.”

He added this: “We have to engage with a new generation of people living in this city and, in doing so, bring along those people that have become disillusioned because of one thing or another.”

New Generation

Milwaukee Ballet’s dancers are part of that new generation. In this show, some are part of the next. 120+ children from the Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy take turns performing significant roles. All The company dancers play different roles at different performances. By my count, sixteen dancers play the five lead roles. When not in a lead role, they’re featured in smaller roles just as important. Each performance is unique. Each cast is appealing. I loved the one I saw.

As the toymaker/magician/dream-giver Drosselmeyer, Garrett Glassman is superb. He premiered the role beautifully last year. Now it’s grown and he’s grown in it. Drosselmeyer creates the nutcracker soldier as a holiday gift for young Clara. He dazzles her extended family and their friends with highly effective magic tricks and human sized toys at their holiday party. Then, in a dream within a dream within the dream of the whole show, he opens a door for little Clara, her older sister Marie, their little brother Fritz, and Drosselmeyer’s young assistant Karl to journey through a Wonderland that’s like no other. Drosselmeyer is always with them somehow, slipping in and out of sight and action, beaming love.

I loved Raven Loan and Emery Meroni as young Clara and Fritz. They’re skillful actor-dancers who are fairly short in height, and it was easy to believe in them as kids. Loan absolutely beamed Clara’s joy and courage. Meroni was a ton of fun as goofy Fritz. They made the choreographic challenges a part of their identities.

Marko Micov was new in the role of Karl. He played him as a modest, conscientious worker who never expected to find himself in a starring role as a hero. He does the very best he can for all concerned. Lift after lift, he took care of Marie. No wonder she loved him.

As Marie, leading artist Lahna Vanderbush met every dance and acting challenge with perfect grace and humanity. In her transformation to the Sugarplum Fairy, she sweetly executed Pink’s new and improved choreography. She bravely took a role in the battle against King Rat. She touched me enough to draw tears at this dream’s thrilling climax, when her love for and commitment to Karl was sealed.

The show runs through December 24 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. For details, visit milwaukeeballet.org or call 414-902-2103