Ballet West unveils designs for 21st-century update of ‘The Nutcracker’

A shadow box of "Nutcracker" set designs by John Wayne Cook were unveiled for Ballet West donors and board members on Wednesday, a sneak peak of a respectful "21st-century" update of sets, costumes and lighting for co-founder Willam F. Christensen's production.

The production is thought to be the first full-length American version of the Russian ballet and the longest running, says artistic director Adam Sklute, noting the new production will premiere on Dec. 1, 2017, as part of his 10th anniversary of leading the company. New elements are aimed to showcase Christensen's original choreography, while incorporating fanciful designs and special effects intended to take audiences on an even more dramatic journey, Sklute said. The show's iconic Christmas tree will grow wider, for a 3-D effect, rather than taller.

"Instead of the tree necessarily growing, in a funny way, it's as if Clara is shrinking," Sklute explained.

Other updates include the possibility of Mother Buffon costumed as a queen bee, with her skirts as a beehive, "a double pun" in the Beehive state, Sklute said, while Clara will be whisked away in a flying sleigh at the show's end. The Russian dancers costumes will have a similar look, as those costumes nod to those worn by the Christensen brothers in their 1920s and 1930s vaudeville act. The more than 40-year-old grandfather clock set piece will remain, Sklute said, to cheers and applause from onlookers, including dancer Jenna Herrera. The Ballet West demi soloist, who has been performing in Ballet West's "Nutcracker" since 2007, called the new designs "exciting."