Act Two continues this visual feast, with the beautiful "Dewdrop Waltz," danced by the exquisite Mollie Sansone as the Dewdrop Fairy and the athletically gifted Brendon LaPier as the Nutcracker Prince, performed in a gorgeous setting of garden pinks, greens and lavenders.
From that stunning moment to the altogether transformative "Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy," Nashville's Nutcracker takes its rapt audience to greater artistic heights than previously thought possible. Sadie Bo Harris, as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Jon Upleger, as her Cavalier, display great versatility and control, no doubt inspiring many young minds to dream of life in the ballet. The other Act Two highlights include the sensuously beautiful performance of the Snake Charmer and his Lady, danced with lithe grace by Mark Allyn Nimmo and Grace Rich, Nashville's very own homegrown ballerina; the rousing Russian dance by Damian Drake and Joseph Steinaur; the Swiss Shepherd and Shepherdess (Christopher Stuart and KrisSy Johnson) and their band of charming sheep; and, finally, Vasterling's clever take on "Mother Ginger," here intepreted as "Madame Bonbonniere" (ElizaBeth Harrison as a French confectioner) and her almost harlequinesque Bon-Bons.
Vasterling's imaginative retelling of the ages-old Nutcracker is brought vividly to the stage by the amazing artists at Nashville Ballet. Certainly, the dancers are spectacularly talented, confident and assured as they relate the ageless tale, and they are given sumptuous trappings in which to perform.
Campbell Baird's costumes are unparalleled in their striking beauty, helping to underscore the story's fantastic elements and allowing the dancers to interpret their characters more engagingly. The stunning set design of Shigeru Yaji takes the action of the ballet from the midway of Tennessee's Centennial and International Exposition of 1897 to the interiors of a Belle Meade Mansion (although a window scene - and the family name of "Stahlbaum" - might cause one to reimagine the setting as a mansion in Nashville's Historic Germantown neighborhood), the garden of Nashville's Parthenon and, most certainly, the awesomely beautiful realms of both the Snow Queen and King and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Finally, lighting designer Scott Leathers' skilled eye focuses the audience's collective eye perfectly on the proper spot, illuminating the heart and mind while wonderfully lighting the gorgeous sets.
The outstanding musicians of the Nashville Symphony, under the baton of Nashville Ballet's music director Paul Gambill, complete the artistic foundation for Nashville's Nutcracker and it is hard to imagine a more beautiful rendition of Tchaikovsky's time-honored and beloved score.
Obviously, this sumptuous production is a generous treat for the people of Nashville and it is a Christmas memory that will be treasured for years to come as the true harbinger of the holiday season in Music City.
- Nashville's Nutcracker. Concept and choreography by Paul Vasterling. Snow Scene choreography by Robert Rodham, staged by Fiona Fuerstner. Costume design by Campbell Baird. Set design by Shigeru Yaji. Lighting design by Scott Leathers. Featuring The Nashville Symphony, conducted by Paul Gambill, Nashville Ballet music director. Through December 20. At Andrew Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville. For details, visit the company's website at www.nashvilleballet.com.
