BUT, for me, I saw the winner last night. Not on Ovation TV, mind you, but at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I was fortunate to have a fantastic ticket for the opening night of ABT's Nutcracker, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky. I found it completely enchanting and beautifully magical. He's taken a familiar story, tells it in a familiar way, with some unfamiliar twists and delights. I just loved it and only wish I could see it again this year. This is its second year; I missed it last year, but I am definitely going to make it an annual tradition.
I found the choreography to be charming--whimsical and fun, but not overly simplified. I very much enjoyed how the child Clara and her Nutcracker Boy were mirrored by their adult Prince and Princess. They all shared the same sense of wonder and joy at this lovely story. I think we all know how I love me some Marcelo Gomes, and he did not disappoint as the Prince. He is just all that--athletic and powerful, yet gentle and lyrical. Again, I found myself watching him act when he wasn't dancing, and missing the dancing that was going on around him. He's that magnetic. Veronika Part, as the Princess, was lovely, though she has this weird tilt when she's doing pirouettes. I'm not sure if she's supposed to tilt due to the choreography, but her tilt made me nervous. :) Their first pas de deux, in the Snowflake scene, was magical. Their second, at the end of the ballet, was also lovely.
The young Clara and Nutcracker Boy were wonderful, especially in the scene with the Snowflakes. They started out with wonder, running through the snow, then, as the snow got thicker and the dancing Snowflakes got more intense, the kids were running scared and communicated their fear very well.
I will say I thought the first act was way more enchanting than the second. Perhaps the whimsy was slathered on a little thickly in the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I didn't really enjoy the Arabian dance, though Sascha Radetsky's abs needed a curtain call of their own. The choreography looked a little messy from where I was sitting. The bees in the Dance of the Flowers was a cute idea, and the ending of that number was ingeniously staged, but it perhaps became a little much. Daniil Simkin in the Chinese dance was a delight, and the surprise guest in the Mother Ginger dance made me laugh out loud.
I have to say, though, I came away really impressed with a young boy named Justin Souriau-Levine, who played the Little Mouse. That boy is going to be a star. From the first moment he was on stage, to his curtain call, he OWNED it. His body language, his miming (even with a big mouse head on), his adorable waves and crazy slides were just terrific. He very nearly steals the show. There's an adorable interview with him on the New York Times website, if you're interested. But, you read it here first: HE. WILL. BE. A. STAR.
I don't think I'd ever been to the BAM Opera House before. I've only been to the Harvey Theater. The Opera House is lovely, and it's beautifully decked out for the holidays. I'll include some photos at the end. I will tell you one downside of having an excellent fifth-row orchestra seat (as opposed to my balcony seats at the Met): you can't take any secret photos during the curtain call. I would've gotten my phone out if flashes started throughout the house and everyone was taking photos. Didn't happen. In fact, one of the snooty chairs of the event, who was seated across the aisle from me, took a picture and the house manager swooped down to make her stop. So...there's that. OH, and Christian Siriano from Project Runway was also across the aisle from me! He must've designed a dress for another of the evening chairs. The dress was lovely, a rich red taffeta, though I'm sure she was freezing. It was strapless, and it was about 30 degrees outside and 25 degrees in the theater... ;)
Strangely, the house wasn't at all full. My row was completely empty, except for the woman with consumption on the aisle. But it was nice to be able to see everything without giant heads in the way. Most parents were very cognizant when their kids got a little vocal and took them quickly outside. All in all, it was a very well-behaved crowd, and if the consumptive lady waited too long to leave her seat to get a cough drop, oh well. The show was so wonderful, I promptly forgot about her. For once. My biggest regret? I forgot to take expendable income to buy souvenirs. I'm trying to decide if I should go back, before a show, and pick up some mementos. It's a quick trip on the Q train. Hmmm, long lunch break next week on a matinee day could work...
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