Review: Festival Ballet Spreads Christmas Joy with Marvelous, Magical NUTCRACKER

Glittering, fairy-like snowflakes. Dancing sugar plums. Toy soldiers capering around the tree. Each of these fanciful childhood images comes to life with a special touch of Christmas magic in Festival Ballet Providence's superior production of The Nutcracker. FBP once again delivers an enchanting Nutcracker guaranteed to capture the imagination of audiences of all ages.

Lots of sparkle and whimsy are necessary ingredients for any successful Nutcracker, and FBP, under direction of Mihailo Djuric, seamlessly blends those elements of fairy-tale fantasy with the professionalism and polish that have come to define the company's elite dancers. While Nutcracker welcomes all - especially younger patrons who may be experiencing the ballet for the first time - with the promise of Christmastime cheer, the seasoned dance connoisseur will equally thrill to the high quality of performances and the grace and discipline of Festival's featured artists.

The Nutcracker opens, as always, with the Silberhaus' Christmas Eve party. Archie, FBP's beloved canine star, starts things off with his annual trot to the Silberhaus' front door. As guests arrive and the festivities get underway, the children's godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer (Dylan Giles), performs tricks and illusions to delight the assembly. Drosselmeyer presents a special gift, the Nutcracker doll, to his goddaughter, Clara (Olivia Lucianno), a seemingly simple offering that will, by the stroke of midnight, transport her into a world of fantasy and dreams.

These early scenes are richly detailed down to the smallest point. Party guests remain in-character and continue to interact with each other even when they stand on the sidelines of the main narrative. This makes the Silberhaus' celebration ring with authenticity. The guests are friends and relatives, glad to meet and happy in their shared company. Party-goers mingle, flirt, and even humorously reveal the odd personality conflict to create a full and genuine-feeling Christmastime gathering.

Lucianno is a lovely, engaging Clara with an inherent sweetness in her presentation. She conveys convincing terror at the sight of the Mouse Queen, greets the army of wooden soldiers with a jaunty salute, and proves that Clara learned storytelling skills from her godfather as she animatedly relates the tale of the Christmas Eve battle to the Sugarplum Fairy.

Giles breathes real life into the wizard-like Drosselmeyer. He manifests as much buoyant Christmas spirit as the children and is as delighted to share his ingenious clockwork creations as the youngsters are to watch them. He good-naturedly endures the Silberhaus' attempts to introduce him to eligible ladies at the party, then quietly sneaks off to instigate the boys' mischievous raid on the girls' dances. And still, Giles retains a touch of mysteriousness about him as he stays slightly aloof and ready to cast a spell on the Silberhaus' guests, young and old.

As Nutcracker, Ty Parmenter charms from the moment he magically appears on stage. His graceful footwork and deft sword battle with the Mouse Queen are remarkable given the view-restricting headpiece he wears pre-transformation; after the toy-soldier enchantment melts away, Parmenter presents a dashing and courtly Nutcracker prince.

Marissa Parmenter plays the Mouse Queen with swaggering overconfidence, from the strut in her walk to the cheeky way she twirls her tail in the heat of battle. Her duel with the Nutcracker has great energy and combative flair, and under the Mouse Queen's mask, Parmenter's grin shows her engagement with and enjoyment of the villainous rodent's character.

The transition from the Silberhaus parlor to the Nutcracker's dreamlike fantasy realm happens in a shower of twirling snow. Dancing under dozens of radiant Swarovski crystal snowflakes, Ruth Whitney and Alan Alberto bring a lighter-than-air quality to their pas de deux as the Snow Queen and King, and a flurry of FBP's talented artists creates the snowstorm that completes the journey to the Kingdom of Sweets. Later, Alberto partners with Jennifer Ricci during the second act's exquisite, exotic Coffee number. His strength compliments Ricci's utterly spellbinding performance. Ricci's faultless precision and total immersion into the character of the dance make Coffee a highlight of FBP's Nutcracker each and every season.

The crowd-pleasing Tea (featuring Tegan Rich and Jacob Hoover) and Trepak (with David Grannum and Harunaga Yamakawa) charm the audience, while Vilia Putrius and Mindaugas Bauzys bring absolute poise and regality to the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Theirs is the premiere partnership of FBP and these roles showcase the couple's breathtaking lifts, exact unison, and outstanding expression. Not only is their technique beautiful, but they are also master storytellers, building characterization into each step, rotation, and extension. Putrius' speed and refinement define her Dance of Sugar Plum Fairy and Bauzys, in his last Nutcracker with FBP, brings a lighthearted-yet-noble aspect to the Cavalier, performing blinding-fast spins and powerful, catlike leaps with seeming effortlessness.

Festival Ballet Providence always presents a polished and professional Nutcracker, and this year's production surpasses even FBP's own high standards. There is a magical quality to this staging, drawn from the dedication and energy of the company's dancers, and an excellence that makes this Nutcracker an especially memorable performance.

Festival Ballet's The Nutcracker plays a limited engagement at the Providence Performing Arts Center through Sunday, December 20, 2015. Ticket prices range from $23-85 and group rates are available upon request. Student Rush tickets are also available. To purchase tickets, contact PPAC by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787), visit the box office located at 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI, or order online at www.ppacri.org.

Pictured: Vilia Putrius as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mindaugas Bauzys as her Cavalier. Photo by Thomas Nola-Rion.

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