This past weekend our family embraced winter holidays-22 with Mom-daughter visit to the Nutcracker at Boston Ballet (now-December 31, Boston Opera House). Boston Ballet’s 2012 version of the beloved classic is staged by its Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen with original set and costume designs by award-winning Robert Perdziola.
Attending the Nutcracker together is our long-standing (and very cherished) holiday tradition which marks beginning of the holiday season for us- the one I look forward to every year (despite my general dislike of winter).
The Nutcracker is a perfect family holiday outing- starting with beautifully decorated Boston’s grand historic Opera House and staging (based on Hoffman’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouth King – see full synopses here.)- that is family friendly yet appealing to all audiences. I found myself tearing up in several places- touched by Tchaikovsky’s timeless music (Boston Ballet’s orchestra is masterfully led by Mischa Santora) accompanying refined and inspired dancing. During our Saturday matinee performance last weekend we enjoyed delightful Clara (Rimi Nakano) dancing with John Lam (in the role of Drosselmeier) and the pas de deux of Ji Young Chae (Sugar Plum Fairy) performing with Jeffrey Cirio (as Nutcracker Prince), and Lasha Khozashvili with Viktorina Kapitonova (as Snow King and Queen). We were also quite taken by mysterious magic of Arabian Coffee dance performed by Addie Tapp and Daniel Rubin (You may find full Casting information here.)
Of course we welcomed the post-pandemics return of Mother Ginger and her 8 children and all Boston Ballet school students that have been missing from Boston Ballet stage for a couple of years.
“The Nutcracker is 128 years old and yet remains a staple of classical ballet for companies around the world and an enduring, timeless holiday tradition that brings friends and families together….” said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “This year, we are thrilled to welcome back beloved characters, from the littlest lamb to the largest Mother Ginger.”
Check out our post-Nutcracker utube Backstage tour video from a ouple of years ago.
Do you know that the Nutcracker is one of the largest builds the Company has ever done, engaging craftspeople from across the United States to build larger-than-life production sets?
The Nutcracker performance length is approximately 2 hours including one intermission.
Here are more ways to celebrate the Holidays around Boston-22:
Holiday Pops at Boston Symphony (December 1-24)
Ice skating at Boston Common Frog Pond.
The Nightwood immersive lights and sounds show at the Edith Wharton Mount estate in Lenox, MA (through January 1).
Blue Man Group Bostonholiday themed performances (December 15th -December 31).
Seaport Winter Market (now through December 31; closed December 25-26; Menorah Lighting at One Seaport on Thursday, December 22 at 6:00pm) Hanukkah at the MFA December 15, 5-10pm.
SoWa Winter Festival through December 11.
Boston Holiday lights Walks: Boston Common, Commonwealth Ave, waterfront Columbus Park, Faneuil Hall, Seaport.
NEW YEAR’S EVE: First Night Boston will ring 2023 with celebrations from noon to midnight on December 31 that include ice sculptures, ice shows, concerts, parades and fireworks over Boston Common. Check out complete schedule here.
