This review aired on KBAQ December 21, 2009

BALLET ARIZONA’S “THE NUTCRACKER” PERFECT HOLIDAY CONFECTION

”THE NUTCRACKER”

Ballet Arizona, Symphony Hall

Phoenix, AZ

Ib Andersen’s ethereally beautiful, stunningly danced, and strikingly staged annual Ballet Arizona “The Nutcracker” remains the perfect holiday confection. The scope, size, and lushness, makes this one of America’s best “Nutcracker’s.” When you add the marvelous Phoenix Symphony Orchestra playing the lovely Tchaikovsky score, the result is a production to treasure.

Although Andersen’s “Nutcracker” is now several seasons old, it still looks fresh like it was new this year. The elaborate sets and special effects have been maintained impeccably and nothing on stage at Symphony Hall seems shopworn.

“The Nutcracker’s” frosting is the exquisite rendition of the score by the Phoenix Symphony. On opening night, guest conductor Kayoko Dan perfectly paced music and the orchestra’s subtle playing was stunning. After the first three days, Timothy Russell, the usual conductor, returned. Be cautioned that if you see “The Nutcracker” after Christmas, those performances use recorded music. It doesn’t work.

Ballet Arizona’s excellent dancer corps artfully rises to the music’s perfection. I suspect that the opening night cast is the best although the same dancing corps rotates in the many roles and specialty sequences throughout the 21 performances. The amazing thing about Ballet Arizona’s “Nutcracker” is that the many children dancers all perform with a professional sheen and polish rarely seen in the large student chorus.

The opening night Clara, the girl whose Christmas Eve dream makes up the ballet’s magical tale, was the personable Kara McBride, an impressive young dancer. Her Christmas Eve Nutcracker doll inspires the travels she takes to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The second act brings the specialty dances and here the company blossoms with marvelous technical dancing skills. In the first segment, the Angels move with amazing precision and flowing beauty. The Sugar Plum Fairy was danced with exquisite loveliness by Natalie Magnicaballi and her Cavalier was performed with dashing swagger by Ilir Shtylla.

There wasn’t one of the eight specialty dances - Spanish Chocolate, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, Marzipan, Russian Trepan, Mother Ginger and her children, Dew Drops, or the Waltz of the Flowers - that wasn’t awesome executed. Singling out the cast would be justified but, depending on the performance you attend, you may see different dancers in each sequence.

It’s nice that Phoenix supports such a spellbinding annual “Nutcracker.”  This year’s “Nutcracker” continues at Symphony Hall through December 27. For tickets, call the Ballet Arizona box office at 602-381-1096 or order online at www.balletaz.org.

Grade: A