This evening we went to a performance of the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker ballet. We went a couple of years ago and Girlfriend has been begging to go again. We got pretty good seats for a not-as-expensive-as-last-time price.
The PNB’s Nutcracker is notable for its sets by Maurice Sendak. They are wonderful and whimsical. The original story was by E.T. A. Hoffmann. The ballet, created by choreographer Marius Petipa, bears little resemblance to the original apparently. If you read the story that the ballet follows, it is wacky and makes little sense. The music, of course, is by Tchaikovsky.
The one quibble I have with PNB’s version is that there aren’t any Sugar Plum Fairies. The music is there, but Snow Fairies dance to it. I don’t really know much about the Nutcracker–I never saw it as a kid–but I’ve listened to the music all my life. And I want my Sugar Plum Fairies. Where are they? Can anyone explain their absence to me?
Part of the joy of attending this ballet is all the trappings that go with it. All the little girls wear fancy dresses–Girlfriend’s was red with white trim and snowflakes on the edges (see above). We took pictures with the Nutcracker. dAhub and I got wine before the show and champagne during intermission (and therefore enjoyed the performance even more). Girlfriend got a cookie decorated with a chocolate mouse (in honor of the Mouse King character in the ballet):
Another thing that was very fun was knowing people in the performance. A boy from Girlfriend’s school played Fritz (the brother of the main character, Clara). Girlfriend’s violin teacher was in the orchestra.
Girlfriend has been saying that this weekend was the best in her life. Between snow and the Nutcracker (which included wearing a pretty dress and having a yummy cookie), how could it not be?
