Ballet West's 'The Nutcracker': Nutty or nice -- or both

You know what you'll get when you attend Ballet West's version of "The Nutcracker." The opulent Christmas Eve party, the transformation of toy nutcracker to handsome prince, the vanquished Mouse King, Clara's magical journey -- each treasured moment will unfold exactly as conceived by Utah's own Willam Christensen over 40 years ago.

Or not. Last year, on Christmas Eve, there were unexpected events.

The ubiquitous Waldo, of storybook fame, popped up in several scenes. A busy bumblebee joined the Waltz of the Flowers. And then there was the ubiquitous rubber chicken, which appeared when Herr Drosselmayer was supposed to present Clara with a bouquet of flowers. Sacrilege!

Several patrons complained. The rest laughed all the way through the show, and many have since been calling to get tickets for this year's "Nutty Nutcracker" Dec. 30 and 31.

Satirical versions of "The Nutcracker" are staged by numerous ballet companies around the country, including New York City Ballet and Houston Ballet, says Ballet West artistic director Adam Sklute. Some of the parody shows merely tweak a few elements of the company's traditional "Nutcracker," while others present elaborate scripts and separate casts.

Ballet West's approach is relatively conservative. "Some of the shows [by other companies] are -- 'bawdy' would be the right word," Sklute said. "I'm not a big fan of that. We choose to do things that are humorous, but in good taste. No matter what

fun we poke at 'The Nutcracker,' we remain respectful of Mr. C.'s choreography, our 'Nutcracker' tradition and Tchaikovsky's music."

Sklute allows his dancers to submit ideas for the shows, but there are strict rules. No dancer is allowed to make any change that Sklute hasn't previously approved, and "The Nutcracker" must remain appropriate for families.

Despite Sklute's cautious approach, any tinkering with "The Nutcracker" is risky business in Utah. The show is not only a cash cow for Ballet West; in the minds of many ardent fans, it's the local arts world's most prestigious sacred cow. Despite being a ballet about giant mice and dancing party snacks -- and notwithstanding the vaudevillian aspects that Christensen wove into the show -- "The Nutcracker" is accorded a reverence usually reserved, in certain circles, for Holy Writ.

Still, Sklute insists there are worthwhile reasons to play "The Nutcracker" for belly laughs. "There are people in the community who dearly love the show, but have seen it many times and want something different," he said.

The dancers' morale is an important consideration. Each year, the company does nearly 30 "Nutcracker" performances, not counting school shows and rehearsals. "It does get repetitive," said Ballet West dancer Beau Pearson, who played Waldo in last year's "Nutty Nutcracker." "Everybody's heard the music so many times. We don't necessarily look forward to doing 'Nutcracker' season over and over."

Pearson said last year's "Nutty" show ignited a fresh buzz backstage at the Capitol Theatre. Dancers crowded the wings to watch. Crew members gathered on catwalks above the stage. "It was all fun again," he said. "It was the same ballet, but this brightened it and made it fun to do -- and to watch, I assume."

The chance to appear as the befuddled Waldo, who continually appeared where he didn't belong, was a particular boon to Pearson, who couldn't dance in the show last year because of an injury. Waldo will be back for this year's "Nutty Nutcracker," though Pearson doesn't know whether he will be performing the role.

Last year's "Nutty Nutcracker" packed the Capitol Theatre, and interest has been strong for this year's shows, Sklute said. Still he gives serious consideration to criticism of the show.

After reading a letter about how one family's Christmas Eve traditions were shaken up by the altered show, he moved "Nutty Nutcracker" to Dec. 30 and 31. After all, he said, New Year's Eve is a more irreverent holiday than Christmas Eve. "We perform for people, so people's tastes and opinions matter," he said.

He hopes that presenting an alternate version of "The Nutcracker" gives a wider variety of people a chance to see a version they like, but the traditional version is Ballet West's focus.

A couple of changes have been made to spruce up that version, too, though not of the sort that anyone is likely to complain about. The street scene that precedes the Christmas Eve party will be enlivened with more characters, including carolers and a chestnut vendor. And the live choral singing Tchaikovsky scored for the snow scene will be restored for some performances -- a lovely improvement over the synthesizer that has produced that effect for many years. Local choruses are taking turns providing the silvery "aahs" and caroling in the Capitol Theatre foyer.

So take your pick. This year you can have "The Nutcracker" your way -- nutty, nice or both.