Review: Houston Ballet World Premiere of Stanton Welch's THE NUTCRACKER Is a World-Class Spectacle

Spectacle. There is no other word for it. As re-imagined by Artistic Director Stanton Welch, the holiday classic pulses with new life and over-the-top theatrics reminiscent of 19th century production at its peak, but brought into the 21st by cutting-edge technology.

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New sets, new costumes, new choreography combine to present an opulence seldom seen on any Houston stage, or anywhere else, for that matter. This production would be at home in any world capital, and I hope it will be in the future.

The aforementioned sets are stunning in their scope and detail. Where the heroine, Clara, is usually depicted as living in a comfortable upper-middle class home, here she lives with her family in a two-story Palladian mansion, replete with architectural refinements. The decor and furnishings are of the finest; it looks for all the world like a movie set from the golden age of MGM musicals. Indeed, it was built by a company that makes such sets today. Even the proscenium of the Wortham's Brown Theater stage has been transformed into a 19th century extravaganza of gilded plaster cupids frolicking in rococo flora. It's all designed to impress, even before the curtain rises.

Costumed dancers from the production, Harlequin (Rhodes Elliot), Columbine (Chae Eun Yang), Soldier (Hayden Stark) and Vivandiere (Katelyn May) are stationed stage left and right before the curtain, making balloon animals for the kids in the audience, pantomiming to the house. It's a street festival atmosphere, and great fun.

The magic only intensifies as the curtain rises on Clara (Melody Mennite) and her brother Fritz (Derek Dunn) playing with their toys in Clara's bedroom, and with their pet sheepdog, a scene-stealer in full dog costume. They are interrupted by their parents, Dr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum (Linnar Looris and Katherine Precourt), in preparation for their holiday party, and soon everyone goes down to their guests.

Greetings and gifts are exchanged, and the children are delighted by the appearance of the mysterious Drosselmeyer (Ian Casady), who entertains and mesmerizes his audience with tricks and illusions. He has a special gift for Clara, a brightly-painted nutcracker, with which she immediately falls in love. Brother Fritz decides to play tug-of-war with it, and tears off its head, but Drosselmeyer repairs it, and Clara lovingly places it on the mantel shelf before she goes up to bed.

The rest of the story is Clara's dream, in which toys come to life, a Christmas tree grows to unbelievable heights, battles ensue and, accompanied by her Nutcracker Prince (Connor Walsh), Clara takes a journey to the fabulous realms of sugarplums and snow, is entertained by dancers from foreign lands, and is received by the Snow Queen in her magnificent throne room.

And just when you think it can't get any more magical, there is the snow scene. We've seen it dozens of times, but it's always a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Fluffy flakes float gently down on the dancers to the accompaniment of tinkling bells; pretty standard stuff, but then, out of the corner of my eye, I see them begin to fall on the orchestra seats. For a moment I thought, "They're not going to drop stage snow on the audience, are they? That's going to make a mess." A second later I felt something cold and wet on my eyelashes. The snow was real, and it felt wonderful. What an effect! And that was just the first act.

Act II was no less thrilling than the first. The stage teemed with dancers, with King Rat (Christopher Gray) leading his valiant minions against the equally valiant forces of the opposition, feigning bravery and showing cowardice in turn, until he finally gets his comeuppance, as all villains in fairy tales always do.

The pas de deux of The Sugarplum Fairy (Sara Webb) and the Nutcracker Prince was beautifully romantic, their dueling solos artful, and the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies a delight, but for me, the highlight of the dance performances was the Waltz of the Flowers, with a corps of bewigged and hoop-skirted dancers whirling effortlessly in the brilliantly-lit ballroom, to Tchaikovsky's heavenly music. It's the nearest I came to crying; beauty always chokes me up.

A special word about the children in the production: Academy students of all ages appear by the dozens, gorgeously costumed and meticulously choreographed. They fill the stage with color and movement. Beautifully disciplined, they step to the music and the rhythms of the other dancers with amazing precision and professionalism. I looked for a misstep; I saw none. There are future stars in that company, and I would love to see all that talent fulfilled.

My final word? Go see Houston Ballet's and Stanton Welch's holiday gift to Houston, and take your children. It is a moment that you - and they - will remember for years to come.

Through December 27, 2016 at the Wortham Theater Center, Brown Theater, 501 Texas. For tickets and information, visit houstonballet.org.

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