WASHINGTON — What do you get when you combine a familiar story, traditional holiday music, Americana imagery, surprise belly laughs and dancers that go for the artistic jugular?
It’s The Washington Ballet‘s annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” at DC’s Warner Theatre now through Dec. 27. The show premiered there in December 1961, playing as a traditional version of the ballet for decades, before taking on a decidedly D.C. twist over the past ten years.
“It’s set in historic Washington D.C. in Georgetown in 1882. Clara dreams through time. The Nutcracker is based on George Washington, The Rat King is George III and Act II is danced among the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom on the banks of the Potomac,” Artistic Director Septime Webre says.
It will also feature the Washington Nationals Racing Presidents, who will take the stage during Act II to perform “Frontiersman.” The Presidents made their “Nutcracker” debut in 2010. Since then, they’ve made a special appearance every year for one night only, this year on Thursday, Dec. 17.
“I choreographed a special dance for them. It’s kind of a parody of ‘Swan Lake,’ the four little swans, and now it’s become the five little presidents,” Webre says.
Webre’s patriotic vision of “The Nutcracker” also includes cameos from other D.C. public figures during the Act 1 Party, from lawmakers to journalists (see bottom of article for WTOP surprise).
Beyond the cameos, there are four reasons audiences keep coming back every year:
The Music
“There’s like three or four elements that make it fresh every year. Number 1 is the music. Tchaikovsky’s music is just so gosh-darn great. It’s really a masterwork,” Webre says.
Here’s a little refresher on just how deep Tchaikovsky’s score truly is:
- ‘The Nutcracker Suite’
- ‘The March’
- ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’
- ‘Candy Canes’
- ‘Waltz of the Flowers’
Most composers would be satisfied with having scored even one of the show’s musical selections, let alone this many classic pieces. Don’t take the score for granted. It’s an annual rite of passage.
“You’re not sick of turkey on Thanksgiving, so it feels right at that time of year,” Webre says.
The Dancers
“The second thing is we have so many cast members. Literally, we have 540 dancers in ‘The Nutcracker.’ I’m not kidding. We have about 100 dancers a show in multiple casts,” Webre says.
Each year, various young dancers make their premieres on stage.
“One year they’re a bumble bee, the next year they’re a soldier. And even in the company, one year you’re in the Court of Ballet and the next year you’re the Sugar Plum Fairy,” Webre says.
The company cast is lead by standout performer Luis Torres, who not only plays The Rat King and Clara’s father, but also Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather who creates the Nutcracker.
“Luis is, as a performer, so charismatic, and as a dancer, so physical. He’s danced his whole career just putting it out on the line. He’s one of those ‘go for the jugular’ kind of performers,” Webre says.
Those wooden teeth of The Nutcracker make it much deadlier for Torres to “go for the jugular.”
“I really like the grandfather dance. It’s fun, because it starts very elegant and very serious, and then … the grandfather actually dances in the middle of this very serious dance. … You never know how the grandfather is going to finish that dance,” Torres says, laughing.
“Luis, it’s so fun to hear that you love that little part,” Webre says with surprise.
“Yeah! He starts very elegant and the music is so grand, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there’s like the little inside joke, like oh my god, there he goes again. Why is he doing that? We’re so embarrassed. We have people here. Why is he acting up?” Torres laughs.
Webre picks a different number as his favorite.
“In Act Two, I’ve adapted the Arabian dance to a dance of two Anacostia Indians. The Anacosita tribe was the tribe of Native Americans that lived here in the Washington region before Europeans came. It is one sexy dance. That thing is gorgeous. It’s definitely the dance for the adults,” Webre says.
The Costumes & Sets
“When we first premiered this ten years ago, our board raised about $1.8 million for sets and costumes, so the production quite literally looks like a million bucks,” Webre says.
Not only are the characters based on American history, the costumes, sets and props are as well.
“For example, Drosselmeyer brings gifts, and he brings a giant Humpty Dumpty. ‘Humpty Dumpty’ was originally a rhyme that the American colonists made up to make fun of George III. It breaks open and John Paul Jones and Miss Liberty are inside,” Webre says.
Likewise, the party scene is set in a mansion based on the historic Georgetown estate Dumbarton Oaks. Instead of flying away on a sled, Clara flies home on a hot-air balloon from the World’s Fair, not unlike “The Wizard of Oz.” And, of course, there has to be a presentation of the Old West.
“A Native American kachina doll is a gift that Drosselmeyer brings. … The traditional ‘Mother Ginger,’ ‘Mother Gigogne,’ a French dance, is Mother Barnum and our American circus clowns, so our costume designer researched these beautiful clown costumes from the 19th century that are recreated with a giant carousel that’s about 20 feet wide. It’s huge,” Webre says.
The Audience
“The fourth thing is actually audiences have a very special time this time of year. People come with people they love to ‘The Nutcracker.’ A grandfather will bring his grandson, a mom will bring her daughter, a young Millennial who grew up dancing will bring her boyfriend to his first ballet. It’s a time when people introduce other people they love to the great world of ballet,” Webre says.
What makes it such a great introductory ballet for newcomers?
“People know the music, so they feel comfortable with the music. … It’s very entertaining. (Webre) keeps the first act moving and there’s lots of American jokes in it, so people feel comfortable looking at the ballet and they don’t feel like, oh my god, I don’t know anything about tutus,” Torres says.
If you thought you’d never laugh out loud at a ballet, think again. This “Nutcracker” cracks some jokes.
“It’s rare in the ballet world that you actually get a belly laugh. I love that I’ve been able to put a few belly laughs in the first few minutes of the production. There’s a moment when Clara’s father throws a rat across the stage, and the butler catches it in a shaking dish. It’s really hilarious,” Webre says.
It’s no accident that these belly laughs come early.
“I sit in the back row every show, and I can just see everyone sitting straight up in their seats at the beginning. Then (after the jokes), I can see everyone sitting back just a little bit more comfortably. People come to the ballet thinking this is elegant, I’ve got to behave. … Kind of a little nervous about the comportment, and it gives them permission to be themselves,” Webre says.
This “Nutcracker” will wow the lowbrow and highbrow alike.
“We really took great effort to ensure that the production was swift and had humor in it and made people feel welcome, but that it also had a lot of really great physical, classical dancing, so that the diehard balletomane, a dance fan who has seen ballet since growing up, maybe danced themselves, would be interested. So when the Sugar Plum busts a move, it’s a pretty good bustin’ of move.”
WTOP’s Jason Fraley made a cameo appearance on Thursday, Dec. 17.
