Review by Mason Bennett, Front Row Reviewers
Accompanied by my seven-year-old son, we both walked into the Covey Center of the Arts to see Utah Metropolitan Ballet‘s Nutcracker extravaganza. There are more nutcracker toys, books, aprons, puzzles than I ever imagined. It sparkles! The arch where we took photos is wonderful and many ballet attendees took photos for us.
The outstanding set that includes a flying boat, a Christmas tree that grows, and an expanding toy box by set decorator and costumer Cassandra Barney is whimsical. The set pieces are immersive and intricate. In the scene with the Snow Queen (Hannah Jackson) and Snow Prince (Lucas Castro), you can feel the cold because the backdrop and the smoke that looks like snow, the cold blue lighting (Marianne Ohran) gives us all the feels.
When the Snow Prince lifts the Snow Queen, it is stunning and so well-done. The composition and the placement of each performers, plus the props and costumes all combine to make a wonderful tableau. I was delighted though out the entire sequence. Often when one thinks about ballet, The Nutcracker snow scene is the dance that epitomizes it and we were not disappointed with this monumental performance. The patron in front of me turned to me and said, “This is the best part of the performance.” I agree.
A quick summary of the story is Clara (Molly Haynie) receives a nutcracker (Toshihiro Harada) from her mystical godfather Drosselmeyer (Eric Ascione). The Mouse King, played by Parker Niksich, and Sugar Plum Fairy played by Hallie Jo Johnson are also some of the principles. The Mouse King’s dance is exciting and comedic, and gave us a most amazing death scene–over the top hamming it up with their grieving. My son laughed out loud.
The Sugar Plum Fairy’s scene with her Cavalier (Matteo Garattoni) is flawlessly graceful, a singular experience. My son and I were very impressed with the physicality of this dance. Harada also plays The Russian–a lively, acrobatic performance that earned huge cheers during and after this dance. He is so light on his feet he seems to float. After the dance, my son turned to me and said, “Thanks, Dad, for taking me to this.” Utah Metropolitan Ballet graciously invited my son and I backstage, and Harada is the dancer my son insisted on meeting.
Artistic Director, UMB founder, and choreographer Jacqueline P. Colledge creates an experience where everything is so smooth and coordinated, I didn’t even think about direction. The performers make everything flow in such a natural way that speaks to the professional level and instruction. It felt like an in the moment experience, though it’s obvious this performance is the result of many hours of rehearsal.
Conductor Marcel Bowman does a fantastic job leading the orchestra with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky‘s wonderful music.
As this is my first time attending UMB’s Nutcracker, it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate the holiday season with this popular and family-friendly ballet. We plan on making this a yearly family tradition.
Utah Metropolitan Ballet presents Nutcracker, story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Covey Center for the Arts, 425 West Center, Provo UT 84601
December 14-23, 2024, Show times vary, see site for individual performance details.
Tickets: $28-$58
Contact: (801) 796-7323
YouTube Link for UMB’s Nutcracker
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