Nutcracker in Seattle

Travel fans may recognize our nation trotting friend.
He's in the tree just above and to the right of the nutcracker.
You can see his travel photos here.

On Saturday, the GF and I went to see the Pacific Northwest Ballet's 25 Anniversary performance of the Nutcracker.

It's not the first time I've seen the show. Sometime during 1, 2, or 3 grade I saw it. I think it was a class trip though I could be wrong. I also don't recall if it was a live show or a movie. With those kinds of specifics it may actually have been my imagination. Or something I saw on TV.

Regardless, I'm old enough to understand it a little better now.

I enjoyed the show more than I expected. The show magazine included a summary of each scene, so I knew what was happening in the story before the scenes unfolded. I appreciate that. Without those explanations, my mind would have been distracted by trying to figure out what was going on.

The music, the dancing, the choreography, the scenery -- they were all beautiful. The scenery and costumes were actually designed by Maurice Sendak, best know as the author and illustrator.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker dazzles Northwest audiences each holiday season. The production's brilliant blend of costumes, sets and choreography is unique to Seattle and creates a magical world enjoyed by children and adults alike. Choreographer Kent Stowell collaborated with acclaimed children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak to create Nutcracker in 1983. Each year, over 100,000 people come to McCaw Hall to see PNB's Nutcracker — one of the best holiday productions in the United States.

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The cast had a lot more children than I expected. One of the nice things about the production is that it really is an "all hands on deck" show and everyone in Pacific Northwest Ballet participates.

The entire company of professional dancers and more than 170 students from Pacific Northwest Ballet School will dance in 42 performances of Nutcracker during the 2008 holiday season.

I enjoyed Act I more than Act II. That's not the fault of the Ballet company; it has more to do with how the Nutcracker is structured. Almost all of the plot unfolds in Act I. Act II is more of an exhibition. And it's well executed. It's just not the sort of thing that really grabs me.

The Nutcracker is about more than individual performances for most people. It's a holiday tradition for many Seattle residents. They and their families will attend the show year after year. And it's nice to see things like that in a city.