When German author E.T.A. Hoffman penned "The Nutcracker," he didn't intend it for virgin eyes. But after it was turned into a ballet in the late 19th century, it somehow lost that dark edge. Thankfully, playwrights Phillip C. Klapperich and Jake Minton take their inspiration from Hoffman's story, writing a new and even more twisted version for the House Theatre. The magical, childhood-come-to-life elements that the House is known for—coupled with snappy one-liners, an eight-piece orchestra and a minimalist yet beautiful set—make this a "The Nutcracker" to see. Skip the ballet and prance over to Steppenwolf.
For those who have forgotten everything about the last holiday season except the spiked egg nog and mistletoe (don't worry, we understand), we'll refresh the plot: It's Christmas Eve and young Clara and her family wait for her brother Fritz to return home from the army. But he never comes back. Instead, a young officer holding a medal of valor shows up. Fritz is dead; the family is devastated. Flash forward one year to Christmas again. Clara is holed up in her room, muttering about how the rats are coming to take over. She organizes her toys so that, together, they can defeat the vermin. When Clara's favorite man, Uncle Drosselmeyer, shows up unexpectedly, she momentarily escapes her own madness. He comes bearing a special wooden nutcracker that Clara names Fritz. With the new Nutcracker and her other toys, Clara sets out to defeat the rats that threaten Christmas.
That's when the magic happens—when each toy comes to life. There's Hugo the painted-silver Robot, G.I. Jo (oddly, the only African-American character in this wholly white theatre), Masha the ballerina, Phoebe the ragdoll and the goofy, floppy monkey. When Clara's parents see her diving deeper into toy world, they worry that she's really going to lose it. But dear Uncle Drosselmeyer encourages her to face her fears. (Come to think of it, if Clara were actually schizophrenic, Drosselmeyer would be a terrible enabler.)
If we have one complaint about this dark version, it's the intermittent dancing and singing. Ok, so we know that this is also a ballet, but it feels like the company can't make a serious decision one way or the other. Other than that, this version of "The Nutcracker" brings Clara's inner demons to life—and reads like a scary psychological children's story.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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