‘Nutcracker’ Moves to Milder Climes
By BRIAN SCHAEFER DEC. 12, 2014
In the last scene of the first act of American Ballet Theater’s “The Nutcracker,” choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, a gentle snow suddenly turns into a blizzard, a thrilling dark detour in this acclaimed production. But after last year’s harsh winter, Ballet Theater has had enough. Or perhaps after five years, it has been unable to find a real toehold in this city’s crowded Nutcracker marketplace. Either way, the company is off to Southern California: Beginning next year, Ballet Theater’s “The Nutcracker” will become an annual tradition at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Which means this is your last chance to see Mr. Ratmansky’s astute interpretation of the holiday classic in New York. All the ingredients are there: the opening party, the Christmas tree on steroids, a world tour of cultural stereotypes. But the great adventure at the heart of this version is the journey from adolescence to adulthood, dramatized with touching innocence and wonder. (Through Dec. 21, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Avenue, at Ashland Place, Fort Greene; 718-636-4100, bam.org.)
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