Vladimir Issaev's The Nutcracker

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Posted on December 16, 2018 by Beaser Vladimir Issaev’s The Nutcracker Before last night the only thing I knew about The Nutcracker was that it had something to do with toy soldiers. Little did I know there was a whole story line behind it. I’ve only seen the ballet live one other time so I had no idea what to expect. What I did know was that my wife and mom would enjoy it so I was lucky enough to get tickets. So last night we (me, my wife, mom, and her friend Rose) made the trek to Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale to see The Nutcracker being presented by the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida. Barely making it on time, we picked up our tickets from Will Call and found we had great seats in the middle of row “S”. Perfect! We were just getting settled when we could see the lights in the lobby flashing indicating the show was about to begin. It was kind of cool because I’ve only seen something like that in movies. As the music started playing and the lights came down we were treated to a wonderful evening of dancing and storytelling. The crowd was encouraged to applaud when we felt it was warranted, not to wait until the end. I think the crowd showed their appreciation for the performances because there were applauds throughout the night. As the first act came to a close we were treated to a battle between the Nutcracker and the mice. True to the story the Nutcracker won the battle, is transformed into a Prince, and transported to the Kingdom of Snow with Clara. The second act was beautiful and left the crowd wanting more. I know I could have sat there for another hour watching. You really have to take your hat off to the dancers for their passion. The years of practicing to perfect their craft. Having a passion of my own, I have a small idea of the training it takes. I can’t imagine the commitment that these performers must have gone through for this; not just physically but mentally in memorizing all the different dances. If there was a down side it was the parents and kids that sat behind us. Apparently they felt the need to talk throughout the ballet. Shame on you! Given the opportunity I’d definitely go again and recommend going to all of my friends.