Word: ballets
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...SWAN LAKE You mean, the swans were once played by women? That's an understandable reaction to Matthew Bourne's acclaimed version of the ballet, with an all- male corps of swans. It's no cross-dressing stunt but a visually luscious and dramatically convincing reinterpretation. Will the Tonys notice...
...mentioned before, the gaggle of children who perform in the ballet help make it both entertaining to kids and adorable to adults. What pint-sized prima donna ballerina didn't want to be Clara, prancing about onstage in the swirliest dress with the best doll and dancing that breathtaking (and romantic?) duet with the Nutcracker Prince? Some of the intensely traditional ballet's parts, however, may ring a bit uncomfortable with audiences today--all the little boys receive guns and promptly pretend to shoot one another, while all the little girls receive dolls and are content to sit and rock...
...cute cretins, however, are only one part of the elaborate magic that is The Nutcracker. Over 120,000 people see the show annually, making it the "most popular in the world," according to the Boston Ballet. That title is certainly a well-deserved one. Everything about The Nutcracker is a child's fantasy come true--stunning sets, divine costumes, amazing dancing, a literal ton of plastic confetti snow and 1,200 toe shoes. Well, perhaps all those toe shoes aren't part of the fantasy, but they're still a tribute to the massiveness that is this production...
...Russian" dances stand out as being particularly difficult. The infectious energy of the Russian dancers, featuring Reagan Messer, tumbles and "Hey!"s its way into the audience's hearts; likewise, the fluid flexibility of the Coffee dancers (Erika Lambe, Todd Ghanizadeh and Zachary Hench) combines the delicate beauty of ballet with the astounding talent of contortionists...
There may be some small flaws with Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker, however, they remain few and far between and hidden under the frilly layers of breathtaking spectacle. Filled with gorgeous costumes, glorious sets and amazing special effects (particularly noteworthy are the hot-air balloon that Clara and the Nutcracker Prince fly away on, as well as Drosselmeyer's subsequent flight across stage), The Nutcracker is sure to leave audiences spellbound with the wonder and magic of the season, neatly packaged onstage, for the 33rd year in a row. The dancers are magnificent. The music is enchanting...