As the latter, he teams with Elder Clara (McKenzie Van Oss, dancing again with her home company) for many sweetly gliding and glowing sequences in the second act fantasyland. Yevgeny Shlapko is crisp and snappy as the Soldier Doll and Nutcracker Prince. Professionals come from the Carolina Ballet. With costumes that often include amazing detail – angels with wings – they provide showcases of images and motion. Most of the 69 dancers are local, from youngsters to folks who have been around dance for a long time. Clara’s mischievous brother, Fritz (Fiona Josephs), instigates part of the storyline by breaking the toy nutcracker, which eventually comes to life.

More young dancers blend into the big sequence with dancing snowflakes, with each person-snowflake tossing hands full of imaginary snowflakes galore.Ĭhanges/differences aside, the production transports the audience through the illusions of Uncle Drosselmeyer (Scott Ronsmans) for his graceful, sweet niece, Clara (Adorlee Gustafson). The story’s magical uncle weaves into many sequences, as if igniting young Clara’s fanciful dreams. Included are new concepts for a waltz scene with its layer of friskiness. Not chiseled in stone.įirst-time audience members for this version won’t know that Timothy Josephs, artistic director of Northeastern Wisconsin Dance Organization, has reshaped portions of the 2021 edition. That template is constant with “The Nutcracker.” But live productions are not movies. With dancing snowflakes, sweets from exotic lands and royalty, this is a super-sized fantasy. 27.Ī classic tale unfolds: At Christmastime, a girl is gifted a nutcracker in the form of a dashing prince, and that night she dreams vivid, imaginative, loving dreams. The production continues with two performances today, Saturday, Nov. New place, live orchestra, energetic display. They are revitalized in Cofrin Family Hall of Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Weidner Philharmonic, thus: These are impressions of the opening moments of what has been called “The Green Bay Nutcracker.” Performances were snuffed out last year in the COVID-19 pandemic. People from a time gone by, each dressed in finery, flow past a colorful backdrop. The hall is built for such lovely, live music. (WFRV) – The gentle overture sounds recorded.

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