The Nutcracker delivered an early Christmas treat Friday night, bringing its annual holiday parade of soldiers, snowflakes and the Sugar Plum Fairy to a new venue at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center. The performances by both the dancers and musicians were nothing short of magical.
The Ballet Arkansas-Arkansas Symphony Orchestra production has captivated generations of Arkansas audiences with its rendition of the timeless tale. It's even included hundreds of local dancers over the years, creating a festive family tradition that flourishes to this day.
There was nary a false note or step the entire night -- this production of Tchaikovsky's suite was in peak form with returning Ballet Arkansas dancers and guest artists delivering at every level, many of them pulling double duty in several roles.
The Act 1 party scene sparkled thanks to the acting of the cast, led by the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, which was again played with panache by Stephen K. Stone. Mary Claire Cogbill and Zsilas Hughes triumphed in their roles of Clara and brother Fritz, respectively.
One of the crowd favorites of The Nutcracker is the battle scene between the rats and soldiers, and this year's did not disappoint. Georgia Quinn owned the stage as the Rat Queen, giving the rodent the diva air of a pop star.
The Land of Snow closed out Act 1 with a majestic flourish courtesy of a little snow, the magnificent snowflake dancers, the Top of the Rock Chorus, and Snow Queen and King Deanna Karlheim and Paul Tillman.
Act 2, of course, is when audiences delighted in the showstoppers that are the themed dances in the Kingdom of Sweets, from the exotic Arabian Coffee to the jolly Mother Ginger. The Waltz of the Flowers felt fresh again, thanks to the musicality of the dancers.
Closing out The Nutcracker was the grand pas de deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, with commanding performances by Leslie Dodge and Tom Mattingly. Like Clara, we all were mesmerized by the wondrous events unfolding before our eyes.
Three more performances are scheduled for this weekend -- at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center at 100 Victory Lane. Tickets are available at arkansassymphony.org or by calling (501) 666-1761 (ext. 100).
Metro on 12/13/2014