For Snohomish County families who enjoy a live, full-length performance of a traditional version of “The Nutcracker,” Olympic Ballet Theatre does a fabulous job.
In fact, when one considers the cost of parking in Seattle and ticket prices for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s (albeit wonderful) version, Olympic Ballet is a remarkable deal. The cheapest PNB tickets are $27; the most expensive OTB tickets are $38.50.
After playing the Everett Performing Arts Center this past weekend, the company’s “Nutcracker” production moves today to the Edmonds Center for the Arts for another weekend of performances.
Led by talented artistic directors Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev, a married team of former Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers, the nonprofit Olympic Ballet Theatre has established an exciting version of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.”
The sets and lighting are well done, the costumes (and the quick costume changes) are great, much humor is evident in the choreography and the dancing is delightful.
Company dancers with special roles in Olympic Ballet’s “Nutcracker” include Charles Gordon, Christine Hamstra, Arashi Kunita, Kyohel Masaoka, Miri Orido, Beatrix Paulay, Mana Sasaki, Riho Shimada and Mayuka Takamura. In addition, Olympic’s student dancers are marvelous as the children at the Christmas party, the little mice, the toy soldiers and Mother Ginger’s little buffoons.
Vinson and her friend Le Yin (from China) flawlessly danced the roles of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince in Everett. In Edmonds, audiences will see the professional talents of Laura McQueen Schultz and her husband Nicholas Schultz. The guest artists are best known in Michigan where they have been members of Grand Rapids Ballet.
Frank Borg, who portrays Uncle Drosselmeyer, is a wonderful character dancer, best known for his work with Kansas City Ballet. The role of Clara (Alexa Kinley in Everett) will be danced by Camilla Power in Edmonds.
The Christmas party scene and the start of Clara’s dream, which opens with the battle between the mice and the toy soldiers, are followed by a beautifully choreographed dance by the snowflakes.
When Clara’s dream moves to the Land of the Sweets, enjoy the Spanish, Arabian, Chinese and Russian dances, as well as Mother Ginger’s appearance with her children.
These vignettes are topped only by the ballet’s famous pas de trois, the waltz of the flowers and the grand pas de deux.
If you go
Olympic’s “The Nutcracker”will be performed at 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 5 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N. For tickets, which range in price, go to www.olympicballet.com or phone 425-774-7570.
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