The Nutcracker at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
December 19. Los Angeles, CA

I am yet to see an Opera House that is not grand and beautiful in its own way. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is no exception. Decorated with bright seasonal colors reflecting in multitude of mirrors and crystals it sets the mood of a fairy tale the minute you enter its vast halls. The all time Christmas favorite and the appearance of the world famous theater drew in the crowds of young and old, tourists and locals, regular theater goers and those who just go see The Nutcracker once a year. Not unlike the Star Trek the show became part of our culture, our very own mythology if you will, reaffirming optimism and delivering message of hope to spiritually sustain us in the New Year that follows.

Having seen a rather dreary version of Mariinsky’s modern Nutcracker few years back, I was very relieved that this time the theater brought a more tradition version dating back to Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, which however had been refactored by Vasily Vaininen in the 30’s. The famed Mariinsky orchestra traveled with the ballet troupe and under the baton of Pavel Bubenkov demonstrated musical excellence which is not common in ballet performances.

The action takes place on the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Older stage characters remained faithful to traditions of full skirts and big wigs going back to their youth, while the younger women featured flimsy Empire style gowns of the new Napoleonic era. The tone of the First act was set by Drosselmeyer, whose character is a cross between a kind uncle and a teacher of dances from War and Peace. The role was brilliantly played by Fyodor Lopukhov who made me believe absolutely in what was occurring on stage.

Highlight of Act 2 was the Waltz of the Snowflakes. Originally created by Lev Ivanov, it was at once proclaimed a masterpiece. I found Mariinsky's costumes for the Snow Scene too literal – white wigs and cotton balls hanging from dancers' arms; costumes, yes, but not the choreography. Unpredictable as nature itself, it took us on a rollercoster ride of choreographic crescendo, followed by moments of complete still. On the whole, the production featured relatively modest sets and spanking new costumes which made the ballet new and fresh, as if it were composed only yesterday and not some 100 year plus ago.

Among character dances of the 3rd and final act it was classical pas de trois, masterfully performed by Elena Evseeva, Maya Dumchenko and Vasily Tkachenko, that found the most resonance in the audience. But in heart of hearts I secretly anticipated what came to be known in the world as Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux. Although in this particular production it was pas de deux a cinq danced by Masha (Clara) the Princess, Nutcracker the Prince and the four Cavaliers. I thought that the presence of the cavaliers was unnecessary, even intrusive, so it was in Masha’s variation, a.k.a Sugar Plum Fairy variation where I found my nirvana. Evgenia Obraztova who danced the lead part wore luminously beautifully pink tutu and a diamond tiara, that made her look like a Romanov princess. Yet the dance was nothing like the Aurora variation from The Sleeping Beauty. It was a dance of a fairy, a vision if you will, may be a dream... a dream so delicate and fragile, that you just whisper and it vanishes.

The role of the Nutcracker the Prince was danced by a young Mariinsky soloist Vladimir Shklyarov, who happenes to be Obraztova's husband in real life. While Evgenia made a couple of barely noticeable slips, Vladimir’s performance was virtually spotless. He came to represent everything that is right about Mariinsky: impeccable taste, feeling of a pose, style, solid technique, good elevation and maximum cleanness in execution of each pas.

Octavia