Mr. McIntyre has created his own original version of this classic traditional ballet, bringing to the holidays a whimsical and delightful production with something for everyone to enjoy!
The Nutcracker is an 1892 two-act ballet originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 71). The libretto is adapted from E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”.
The Nutcracker Story
Prologue:
In his magical toyshop, Herr Drosselmeyer and his grandson Karl add the finishing touches to a special doll for Clara, the sweet daughter of the Taunnebaums.
Act 1:
It is Christmas time at the Taunnebaums home. The snow falls lightly on the ground. Meanwhile inside, the family busily prepares for an evening of festivities. The house is decked window to wall with beautiful lights and decorations. A splendid Christmas tree is centered in the living room under which presents are spread for the guests and their children. Light marzipan, rich chocolates, and delicate sugarplums are ready to serve with coffee and tea.
The guests come bustling in, dressed head to toe in their finest holiday attire and greet each of the Taunnebaums: mother and father, Clara, and Fritz. Herr Drosselmeyer and his grandson Karl enter and entertain the guests with magical puppet dolls. During the party, Herr Drosselmeyer gives Clara a special Nutcracker doll and she happily dances with her new present.
After a wonderful and festive evening of holiday celebrations, all the guests including Drosselmeyer and Karl bid farewell to the Taunnebaums as the living room dims to the darkness of nighttime.
Eager to see her Nutcracker doll, Clara sneaks back downstairs. The living room, shrouded in darkness, starts to change. Smoke comes billowing out the fireplace and the tree begins to grow, and giant mice come scrambling from the walls. Clara closes her eyes and hopes she will wake from this dream. Upon opening her eyes, she sees her Nutcracker doll is now life size, leading an army of life size toy soldiers to defeat the mice and their Rat King. However, the Rat King stuns and stabs the Nutcracker doll. In all the commotion Clara helps defend her Nutcracker and strikes the Rat King as she throws a shoe knocking him out forcing the rats to flee.
As the mice retreat into the shadows, Drosselmeyer appears and with a wave of magic, transforms the wounded Nutcracker doll into a handsome prince, in the likeness of his own grandson Karl. Drosselmeyer then introduces Clara & her Nutcracker Prince to the beautiful Snow Queen. In a flurry of sparkling snowflakes, the Snow Queen whisks them off soaring to the magical land of sweets.
Act 2:
Clara and her Nutcracker Prince pass by a flock of angels in the clouds and arrive in the Land of Sweets where the very confections and treats served at the party that night dance about the kingdom. Greeted by the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy her Cavalier and The Dew Drop Fairy, Clara and The Nutcracker Prince tell the kingdom the story of their recent battle and how Clara defeated the Rat King.
Grateful for Clara’s bravery, each member of the land of the sweet’s dances in her honor: a Spanish dance of chocolate, an Arabian dance of coffee, a Chinese dance of tea, a Russian dance, Little Bo Peep and her sheep, Mother Ginger and her peppermint children and a sweeping waltz of the flowers led by the beautiful Dew Drop Fairy conclude the set celebratory dances. Lastly, The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance a Grand Pas de Deux in honor of Clara.
After their beautiful dance, Drosselmeyer waves his magic and brings Clara back to her home, leaving her to wake the next morning with memories of a spectacular dream in the land of sweets . . . or was it real?
PAST PERFORMANCES – 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2022 & 2023
Performed by Ballet Pensacola
DARREN McINTYRE 