Feel Like A ‘Nut?’ It’Ll Be No Problem Finding A Performance Of ‘The Nutcracker’ Over The Next Few Weeks

Thu., Dec. 3, 1998

By Susan English susane@spokesman.com

Avid fans of the classic Christmas ballet “The Nutcracker” will be able to go to a lot of “Nutcrackers” this week. All it will take is a little travel.

“Nutcrackers” are being staged throughout the Inland Northwest, and in fact, just about everywhere a ballet company can travel. That’s because this popular ballet is a big revenue source for ballet troupes.

In Spokane, the Spokane Symphony teams with Alberta Ballet, based in Calgary, to stage five performances of the dance over four days. The run opens tonight at the Opera House.

Elsewhere in the region, Eugene Ballet, which also travels under the Ballet Idaho and Western Ballet Theatre monikers, will dance “The Nutcracker” in Lewiston and Sandpoint, in Pullman and Moses Lake.

For the most part, dance-goers will recognize these “Nutcrackers” since the storyline and dancing closely follow the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann and the music composed by Tchaikovsky.

The dance opens with a grand party scene attended by Clara and Fritz and a passel of other children. Among the guests is Uncle Drosselmeyer, who entertains the children with magic tricks and offers up gifts to Clara and Fritz.

Soon, horseplay ensues and Fritz breaks Clara’s new Nutcracker Prince. Magically, Drosselmeyer fixes it, the party ends and Clara falls asleep on the parlor sofa. She dreams of marching toy soldiers and an army of rats who engage in a battle in the parlor.

Traditionally, at this point the Nutcracker Prince grows to life size and arrives on the scene to whisk Clara off to the magical Land of Snow. Various troupes have tweaked this part of the storyline, though, to avoid having the teen-like Prince carry the very young Clara off to a romantic kingdom. Often, Fritz goes along for the ride or Clara appears much older in her dreams, overlaying the story with some political correctness.

In the Land of Snow, or Magical Kingdom as some companies call it, the spotlight shines on the professional dancers, who perform a series of solos and pas de deux. Act II ends with the grand pas de deux by the Sugarplum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince.

Clara wakes up and she’s home again in her parlor.

Local dancers audition for the children’s roles in this ballet. In the Spokane performances, local officials have signed on for the role of Pasha, the Arabian King - radio DJ Scott Valentine will perform tonight, the Rev. Loni Mitchell will be Pasha Friday, Mayor John Talbott and John Roskelley at Saturday’s performances, and KHQ news anchor Penny Daniels for Sunday.

The Spokane Symphony will be conducted by the new assistant conductor, Elizabeth Stoyanovich.

‘NUTCRACKER’ TIMES Alberta Ballet and the Spokane Symphony, tonight at 7:30, Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Spokane Opera House. Tickets are $31, $27, $21 and $16 for adults; $13 for children; available at the symphony box office in the Seafirst Building (624-1200), G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT. Ballet Idaho, Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Panida Theatre in Sandpoint. Tickets are $16 for adults; $13 for Pend Oreille Arts Council members; $9 for children under 18; available in Sandpoint at Eve’s Leaves, 326 N. First, and the Lyman Gallery, 301 N. First. Eugene Ballet, Sunday at 7 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Tickets are $25, $18 and $14 for adults; $25, $12 and $10 for students; $25, $8 and $6 for children; available at the Beasley box office and The Depot in Pullman, at the UI Ticket Office and UI SUB in Moscow and through G&B. Eugene Ballet, Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Lewiston High School in Lewiston. Tickets are $12 for adults; $8 for students; available at Kling’s, Good Health and Wassems Drugs in Lewiston. Eugene Ballet, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Wallenstien Theater in Moses Lake. The Wenatchee Carolers will sing in the lobby at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 reserved; $14 general admission; $10 for children (there are a limited number of these tickets); available at the MAC and Andrews Hallmark in Moses Lake, at the Bookery in Ephrata, Wash., and at the Old Hotel in Othello, Wash., or by calling the Columbia Basin Allied Arts at (509) 762-6244.

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