The Nutcracker
Concert Details: The Nutcracker
Date and Time: Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 2pm
Location: Pantages Theatre – Tacoma, Washington
I haven’t been to any performances at Pantages Theatre in a very long time! I have the smallest inkling of a few memories of performances that I attended as child. I had forgotten how beautiful the theatre is from both the inside and the outside. Located on Broadway street in Downtown Tacoma, the Pantages Theatre serves as the stage for hundreds of performances each and every year. The performance of the Nutcracker showcases the Tacoma City Ballet as well as their orchestra. The Nutcracker play is long cherished tradition in association with the Christmas holidays.
The Nutcracker & The Tale of the Hard Nut was first presented in 1892. This specific story of the Nutcracker is told along with the Tale of the Hard Nut and showcases the dancers of the Tacoma City ballet and a full live orchestra band.
As a side note, I know this does not follow theatre etiquette but in hopes of convincing my mother to tag along to a show such as this one in the near future, I went and snapped a quick image *no flash* and sent it over to her. In this image you can truly appreciate the time, energy, and talent that goes into setting the stage for a performance like the Nutcracker. The colors are deep and bright at the same time, the costumes are comprised with the smallest detail in mind. Historically, the Nutcracker was first performed in Russia. You can see the Russian inspired accents and details such as the style of the actual set. It is quite whimsical and draws the viewer in to imagine a different time and place, where magical things can happen to ordinary people such as Clara.
The play itself is full of many performers, props, beautiful backdrops, and equally if not even more beautiful songs to lead the story along. The dancers, each dressed in beautifully detailed costumes took my breath away. It was such a pretty sight to see all of the colors, and the movement of the dancers glide across the stage to the rhythm of the music. Ornate details filled the stage, and it really took you to a different place.
The only other ballet performance that I had seen up until this point was a version of Cinderella. Although it was a very nice performance, it was not as detailed as this performance of the Nutcracker.
The audience was intrigued by the performance during its entirety. Nobody was on their phones or doing anything that would distract the surrounding audience. It was hard not to pay attention to the story on stage because there was a constant flow of movement. The melody of the music changed depending on the scene, the music went from joyous and witty to suspenseful. The music really drew the audience in, it was much easier to see the story unfold.
I truly believe that the musical performance that the orchestra provided was phenomenal, the entire performance was much shorter than I had expected but it was time well spent. I can definitely see why this performance in particular is a classic for families across the country. It was clear that the concert was a family affair, when entering the theatre you would see entire families hand in hand with their little ones filing in line to get in.
Until next time,
- A
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