'Tis the season for.....

.....wacky renditions of "The Nutcracker".

I'm not sure why there is any need to present The Nutcracker in any form beyond which it was created, but apparently that need exists.

Today, I watched about 15 minutes of a rendition that apparently takes place entirely in the dormitory of an orphanage. There's the requisite crabby old Matron and some strange guy who appears to be a sort of Daddy Warbucks. Lots of jumping on beds and dancing with mops.

A few years ago, a channel presented hours and hours of "alternate" Nutcrackers, which ranged from pretty-near-the-original to really out of orbit. My favorite one had the entire cast in what appeared to be beige union suits or maybe it was Mormon sacred underwear, prancing around aimlessly and doing a lot of writhing on the floor...artistically.... The "Nutcracker", or at least I think he was the Nutcracker was distinguished from the others by sporting cloth testicles and a ***** sewed onto the front of his suit. Okaaaay. Family entertainment, fer shure.

I'm looking forward to my little ones getting a little bit older so I can expect them to sit through a traditional performance. Right now, the 2-year-old would probably be up on stage dancing with the ensemble, the 8-year-old would be terminally "bored" and would be vocal about it and the two five-year-olds would be trying to find chewing gum on the bottoms of the seats.
 


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