Review by Kate Neeley, Front Row Reviewers
Classy. Elegant. Delightful. Cache Valley Civic Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker Ballet is truly one of Northern Utah’s sweetest gifts of the Holiday Season. Sandra Emile, artistic director, created this community tradition 42 years ago and there’s no doubt that it continues to light up the hearts of young and old. Many artists have blossomed and grown over the last 42 years under the tutelage of the Cache Valley Civic Ballet, and one of the essential elements that has accelerated and grown the little ones from darling roly-poly clowns on up to glittering, elegant and strong ballerinas is the yearly undertaking of The Nutcracker.
As soon as you hear the Northern Utah Symphony, under the direction of Mark Emile, start Tchaicovsky’s masterpiece, you’ll be completely transported by pure Christmas magic. A story indeed, it was originally written by E.T.A. Hoffman. You’ll be delighted as the first scene begins with families gracefully sallying into a warm Victorian Christmas party. Beautiful big hoop dresses and suits on each party guest (costumes by Beth Graham) truly add to the elegance of the scene.
It is within the first party scene that you are introduced to this year’s Clara (Meg Buckley/Hailey Mikita) and the whimsical and mysterious Drosselmeyer (Max Allen). You’ll be wowed by the skilled movements of the mechanical doll (Kate Baldwin). The party girls, boys and parents, hosts and other guests are all fully engaging and lovely to watch.
As the scene shifts into nighttime and the guests all head home, the arrival of the mice and the magic of the Nutcracker Prince (Jensen Haviland) will entertain you and pull you into the battle that ensues, complete with a full army of toy soldier dancers, a working cannon that blows snow-like confetti, and you’ll enjoy the sword fighting between the Mouse King (Felix Powell) and the Nutcracker Prince (fights staged by Clifton Richards).
No spoilers on who wins that battle, but once the victory is achieved, the sleigh leads Clara and the Nutcracker Prince into a magical snow kingdom and one of the most stunning numbers of the show. Under the direction of Karyn Hansen, Pamela Kirschman, Anna Telford, Jaime Lindley, and Vivian Taylor, the choreography originally by Lev Ivanov, presents such a gorgeous scene. Snow princesses (Eleanore Buckley, Sarah Hamilton, Mauriella Jenkins, Anna Telford), and constant white snowfall onstage transports you to another winter world.
The grace and movement as you hear the music and the quiet tapping of toe shoes on the stage will truly entrance you. The Snow Queen (Sophie Baldwin) will take your breath away – but not only her, the entire tutu-clad snow kingdom is exceptionally stunning in appearance and skill. Accompanying this number is the Cache Children’s Choir, directed by Allen Mathews, Melody Francis, Martha Rawlings, which is audibly and visibly beautiful.
What the artists are wearing truly adds to the performance, but it certainly wouldn’t be the same without the makeup by Mandy Bell & Emily Geertsen to match the glittering costumes. As lovely as makeup can be, the ballerinas couldn’t glitter without the proper lighting (Braden Howard). All this and more are held together by a number of people working hard backstage, with stage manager Anissa Potts Welligton at the helm, sound engineer Samuel Cooper, lighting director Kyle Sutherland; these and so many moving parts of the detailed surroundings for the dancers are seamless.
Anyone who is familiar with The Nutcracker Ballet knows that the Sugar Plum Fairy (Laura Geertsen) is one of the sweetest highlights of the Ballet, and her part in CVCB’s production will inevitably take your breath away. She is pure royalty in the Land of Sweets, and her partner, the Cavalier (Lucas Castro) is an incredibly gifted dancer. The perfect connection between the two dancers is a work of art as they spin and lift and leap. Both light up the stage with incredible grace.
Indeed, the entire ensemble in the Land of Sweets is a feast of color, joy, delightful movement and celebration. The Rose Princess (Mauriella Jenkins) is a standout among the garden of flowers. From Arabian to Marzipan… it’s all so lovely. When Mother Ginger (Kyle Spuhler) and her gigantic dress fill nearly half the stage, it’s a treat when she lifts her skirts and all the bouncy little clowns emerge and give you all the giggles with their leaps and flips and rolls.
Cache Valley Civic Ballet’s yearly tradition of The Nutcracker truly ushers in the joy of Christmas. The legacy of love is seen in every step of the dancers from tiny to tall, and the audiences over the years have felt that. Indeed, they must feel it, because they keep coming back each Thanksgiving weekend to fill the seats of the historic Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan. Get your tickets for next year early.
Watch for tickets for Thanksgiving Weekend 2025 at https://www.cvcballet.org/
Performances November 28-29 2025
Cache Valley Civic Ballet Presents The Nutcracker Ballet
Logan, Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 S Main St Logan UT
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