<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino">ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET’S
NUTCRACKER disappoints</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino">(Member,
Dance Critics Association)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino">Lorain County Times--Westlaker
Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">--<a href="http://coocleveland.com">coocleveland.com</a>—</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">It might come as a shock
to some to know that NUTCRACKER, whose performances have become a world wide Christmas
tradition, was dismissed as “completely insipid,” “corpulent,” and “pudgy” when
the ballet was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Obviously, views have changed!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">There was never any question
of the quality of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Palatino"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:windowtext;
text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky</span></a></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:
Helvetica">’s music, but the story was deemed to be incoherent and hard to
follow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet is back in
Cleveland to present its version of the fantasy story of Clara, a young Canadian
girl in this version, and her love affair with a nutcracker prince.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">As the fine orchestra played the overture,
which highlights the themes of the great score, an outdoor hockey game,
snowball fight and the arrival of guests, is portrayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">Yes, it’s the night before Christmas and
everything and everyone is stirring, including guests, mice, a giant stuffed
bear, a dream of a sugar plum fairy, dancing snowflakes, angels, waltzing
flowers, and a nutcracker prince. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">The Canadian company puts out full effort, but
they fall short on fantasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All
the elements are there, just the dance quality and creative choreography are
missing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The usual squeals of
delight of the children in the audience, especially, the young girls, were not
present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The usual Cleveland
standing ovation was not garnered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>No “bravos” were shouted after the showcase <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">Grand Pas de Deux</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>This was a rather slow moving, unspectacular, if adequately danced
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">The first act was especially slow moving. There
was a lot of walking around and posing. <span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Drosselmeier lost his magic touch and was nothing more than a
master of ceremonies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The much
anticipated Christmas tree was there, but it was not eye popping and its
usually visually entrancing growth was rather unspectacular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The battle between the Nutcracker
prince and his soldiers, and the Mouse King and his henchmen, was boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even the cannons didn’t create much of
a boom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The highlight was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Dance of the Snowflakes</i>, which was
nicely performed and the presence of 50 child locals portraying various parts. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">The second act picked up a little with some
fine performances by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Pas deQuatre</i>
and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Arabian duo</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Sugar Plum Fairy danced adequately
well, but did not mesmerize and many of the other specialty dances did not
compel attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">As I sat watching this performance, my mind scrolled
back to the days of the Cleveland-San Jose Ballet and Dennis Nahat’s glorious
version of the NUTCRACKER which was often performed on the same State Theatre
stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It often starred the
luminous Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodriquez, her real life prince.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Those were the presentations which
elicited the “ohs,” “ahs,” and “bravos.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet is an adequate
company, but did not display the quality of dancing and creative choreography
to make it a world class troupe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The women dancers often didn’t stick point, and sometimes stood at odd
angles as they attempted to hold poses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The lead dancers were adequate, but not of the quality that should be
expected.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:
Helvetica">Capsule judgement:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet lacked the necessary excitement, fantasy
and fine dancing to make its’ NUTCRACKER a compelling evening of dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:
Helvetica"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica">Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet NUTCRACKER
performers at the State Theatre in PlayhouseSquare through December 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For tickets call 216-241-6000.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"></span></b></p>