#63 See "The Nutcracker" at the Pacific Northwest Ballet

Yes, Super Husband is quite super. And when I asked if we could get tickets to see Stowell & Sendack's "Nutcracker" at Pacific Northwest Ballet...he didn't even flinch! It probably helped that I had a BOGO coupon from our Entertainment Book. (Can't pass up a good bargain, that one!) We picked up tickets for an evening performance the Sunday after we returned from New Zealand.

I had grandiose ideas of a Christmassy evening--seeing all the festivities at Westlake Center, dining out, maybe even ice skating at Seattle Center (it was even FREE skate night!). But alas, jet lag, work fatigue, and Greg's study schedule got the best of us. So we ended up just driving down for the ballet only. The night turned out to be foggy and drizzly, so it was probably best this way.

I'd walked passed McCaw Hall many times during my visits downtown, but it never looked as good as it did that night. HUGE Christmas displays, a giant tree, cutouts of "Nutcracker" characters, lights, and fancy Plexiglas cocktail tables. It was packed with people taking pictures, shaking the rain from their coats, and climbing the stairs to find their seats.

We were glad we wore nicer clothes (thanks to church in the morning)--it was easy to feel under-dressed! There were lots of couples, young and old, dressed formally for the occasion. And there were families with young children, all gussied up in party dresses and collared shirts. I even saw a girl much too young to be wearing heels, walking carefully in her fancy shoes. Wonder how much she begged and pestered her parents to wear those! Personally, I was quite comfortable in my ballet flats (an appropriate name, given the circumstance).

(not mine)

Our seats were in the middle of a row up in the third tier. I'd made the mistake of asking for the fourth tier when I bought the tickets. The box office attendant laughed and said that would be on the roof, but this wasn't too far off! Even in the "nose-bleed section," we had a great view of the stage. The art for Stowell & Sendack's "Nutcracker" is pretty unique, and the proscenium (there's a remnant of my Theater Minor knowledge for you) was colorful and fun to look at. Kids settled on their booster-cushions, pointing at the orchestra pit, while adults thumbed through their programs. I made Greg read the summary, although he claimed to know the story. I assured him, this was NOT the student version I'd dragged him to back in our dating days, and the story was a little more complex. I'm glad I read it, anyway!

Finally, my favorite part of any theater or cinema experience--the lights dimmed. I've probably mentioned this before, but this slow transition to darkness never ceases to send a quiver of excitement up my spine. A few weeks ago, I attended a "Sound of Music" sing-a-long with friends at the 5th Avenue theater, and it was equally thrilling to see the ceiling's giant gold, ruby-eyed dragon fade into blackness. It's the knowledge that what you've been waiting for is about to begin, and the next time the lights come on (besides intermission, of course), you'll have witnessed a whole story unfold before your eyes.

The ballet itself fulfilled my expectations. Even though I'd seen the 1987 movie version on Netflix, this was entirely new. The familiar music still gave me chills. I found myself whispering "Wow!" when the prince spun and leaped ridiculously high during his solo. And Greg and I chuckled to ourselves during the famous pas de duex with its repetitious crescendo--he'd been listening upstairs one day when I was watching the version with Baryshnikov, and he said he thought that song would never end! :-) I loved the snowfall during the dance of the snowflakes, too--it was the only "snow" I saw this Christmas, after all! Just magical.

My favorite dance was the peacock's solo, probably because it's performed to one of my favorite pieces of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker," but also because the ballerina was incredibly graceful...and almost disgustingly flexible! How I wish I could kick that high or bend my back parallel to the floor! *sigh* Well, if it means wearing a feathered multicolored unitard while doing it, I'd rather not... 

(not mine)

With a final "clack" of the Nutcracker's jaws over the scene of Clara's waking, the audience applauded. I laughed, imagining how, as a kid, I'd probably think this meant the Nutcracker ATE Clara in the end! It was a pretty scary, bug-eyed nutcracker to begin with...but this surprise bit of theatrics kind of startled me!

It felt like the ballet was over too soon, but I could understand why it needed to be--the little boy in front of us what starting to wiggle with restlessness, and the little girl next to Greg was kicking his chair with more ferocity. :-) We really enjoyed it and I was pleased with the experience. Check #63 off the list! It may or may not become a family tradition for us down the road, but I hope to go back someday, maybe with a little ballerina of my own beside me (no heels allowed until she's much older, of course)! Even if my kids aren't dancers, I hope they, like Super Husband, will know how to appreciate this art form.