Pinnacle intern Gianna Brigantino sees ‘The Nutcracker’ in the
city
By Gianna Brigantino
Special to the Pinnacle
After the crowd went quiet and the curtain rose in the San
Francisco War Memorial Opera House on Dec. 12, the music began and
the dancers leapt onto the stage spinning and twirling gracefully.
The story of Clara and her nutcracker began.
Pinnacle intern Gianna Brigantino sees ‘The Nutcracker’ in the city
By Gianna Brigantino
Special to the Pinnacle
After the crowd went quiet and the curtain rose in the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House on Dec. 12, the music began and the dancers leapt onto the stage spinning and twirling gracefully. The story of Clara and her nutcracker began.
“The Nutcracker Ballet” is more than 100 years old. It is the most well-known and famous ballet in the world. It was first performed on Dec.17, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The first performance, however, was a complete failure. It was not until 1954 when master choreographer George Balanchine was credited for the build-up of “The Nutcracker Ballet” to its full potential as a holiday tradition. The many different versions we see today are based on Balanchine’s version.
In the ballet, the well-known toy maker, Drosselmeyer, puts the finishing touches on his magical nutcracker that he made as a gift for his relatives on Christmas Eve. Upon his arrival at the house, Drosselmeyer presents the nutcracker and amazes the children with magic tricks. As the night progresses, the relatives say their goodbyes; Clara falls fast asleep with her nutcracker by her side.
“The Nutcracker is a beautiful ballet. Everyone should experience it at least once in their life,” said my grandmother, Shirley Togliatti, who took our family to see “The Nutcracker” in San Francisco.
Last weekend I got the opportunity to see the show with my family. The performance that I attended of “The Nutcracker Ballet” was brilliant. The costumes were beautiful and the dancers were amazing. I had only seen “The Nutcracker” one time before when I was little. The San Francisco performance exceeded all my expectations. Having known the storyline of the Nutcracker Prince and Clara, it was much easier to follow the production – compared with some who did not know the story such as my cousins that attended the production with me.
“It was a wonderful way to start the Christmas season. It was a wonderful production,” said my mother, Vicki Brigantino, who also attended the production in San Francisco.
The costumes were amazing. The Snow King and Queen dazzled the audience; dressed in all white, they danced around the stage as snow fell around them. The snowflakes danced in unison together behind the king and queen. The Sugar Plum Fairy took the audience’s attention as she graced the stage and danced in the garden of the Crystal Palace with the ladybugs, dragonflies and butterflies.
“It was a magical ballet with the most beautiful costumes ever,” said Togliatti.
The music was composed beautifully by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky; including well-known classics such as The Nutcracker: March, Russian Dance, and Waltz of the Snowflakes. The music from the ballet transported the audience to a winter wonderland filled with magic and adventure.
“Every adult and child should see it; you’ll experience the magic of Christmas,” Togliatti said.
“The Nutcracker Ballet” is performing through Dec. 27 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. Tickets for the show range from $85-$250 depending on seating selection. For questions, call Ticket Services at 415.865.2000 Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. or visit www.sfballet.org.
