We went to see Nutcracker today

[conuly]

The American Ballet Theater production, in its last year here. Next year it'll be in Costa Mesa, so anybody in the area really ought to see it. It's wonderful!

Eva was a massive crankypants during the first half of the show, to the point where I considered pitching her over the balcony, but I decided that'd be even more disruptive. (No, seriously, I considered leaving. Jenn could stay with Ana and her last-minute guest. This guest was why Eva was so cranky. My mother had had to bow out, and Eva was annoyed Ana was sitting and talking with her friend instead of her.)

She settled down during the second half, after we let her go to the cafe unattended and then switched seats so she could get a better view. THANK goodness!

Comments

[andrewducker]

I just saw this! Glad you got to enjoy it. The second half, at least :-)

[conuly]

I actually enjoyed the first half more, but I always do. That's the only half with any story, they strip the story away in the second half to focus on pretty costumes and dancing :)

In this version, the mice show up in the very first scene, prancing about the kitchen and scaring the maids and eating the sausages, a very nice bit of foreshadowing.

[andrewducker]

Our performance had a bunch of children (behaving and misbehaving) in the first half, and then they played the mice in the second-half. Nicely making the mice half the size of the "toys".

[conuly]

Sounds abridged - usually the whole story is over in the first half, including the mouse battle, and then it's just the Land of Sweets for after intermission. Still, abridged can be great, especially if you have younger kids or simply don't love the ballet :)

[andrewducker]

It was about two hours long in total.

I think you're right - there was mouse combat in the first half, but they also turned up briefly in the second half, in a more friendly capacity (which might be an unusual version).