Archive review: This review covers the Joffrey Ballet’s 2011 production of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre, the staging’s 25th anniversary. For current dates and tickets, see our Chicago holiday shows guide and our guide to where to see The Nutcracker in Chicago.
A Ballet in Two Acts based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1826)
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1891-1892)
Conceived and directed by Robert Joffrey
Produced by the Joffrey Ballet
At the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
The Nutcracker is a dazzling holiday treat as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary
It has been a few years since I’ve reviewed The Nutcracker by the Joffrey Ballet. I’ll not wait as long in the future. The Joffrey’s The Nutcracker has appeared here since 1996 after a successful national tour. It is firmly established as a holiday family tradition and it is on most people’s “must see list.” If you are new to ballet, come see this one because it beautifully tells the holiday story with vivid movement and dance upon one of the most recognizable music scores ever written.
Audiences appreciate the splendor, precision and fluidity of the movements. I love spectacle, colorful sets, vivid lighting and creative costumes. This production has all of these combined with a live 60 piece orchestra from the Chicago Sinfonietta (conducted by Scott Speck) that marvelously performed Tchaikovsky’s memorable score. The dancers were world-class, the choreography was varied combining classical ballet movements with marches, ethnic routines and 19th Century parlor waltzes. The clever choreography told Hoffmann’s story so explicitly that words simply were not needed. From the early Christmas Eve setting at the Stahlbaum home in 1850s America, we see a holiday party with gifts, a giant Christmas tree and as a special treat, dancing dolls are given as well as a nutcracker. The party scenes are rich in period costumes and folk dances.
Clara returns to the living room after the party around midnight and is confronted with the mice. She is saved by her Godfather Drosselmeyer who takes her into the Land of Snow. This is the fabulous place where movement is supreme, where ballet takes us into a fantasy land that captivates us with the soaring music and breathtaking dance. In the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Fairy fascinates us in spectacle and movement.
We are engaged from the start and in awe of the craftsmanship, style, technique and discipline of the Joffrey performers. (The children in particular were outstanding.) The beauty of the flawless dance carries us into a fantasy that makes us appreciate the arts, especially live performing arts. This ballet is a precious masterpiece. It is so refreshing to witness performers who are the finest at their craft. I have a renewed appreciation for ballet and the Joffrey. The Nutcracker is exquisite. The music, the movement, the color and the atmosphere is breathtaking! See it and you’ll agree.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2011
Find all the places to see The Nutcracker in Chicago and surrounding areas.
More ChicagoCritic reviews of the Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker: 2014 (Robert Joffrey staging) · 2016 (Christopher Wheeldon premiere)