By Marene Gustin
Photos courtesy of Houston Ballet
It’s once again time for dancing sugar plums, and magical toys as Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker dances onstage starting November 23.
Despite this being a holiday tradition for generations of Houstonians, there will be some differences this year.
If you haven’t seen Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker in two years, you haven’t seen it at all. After decades of performing former director Ben Stevenson’s version of the Russian classical ballet, Houston Ballet’s version needed an update. (Fun fact: when first performed in St. Petersburg in 1892 it was not a hit, it only became an American Christmastime tradition in 1944 when the San Francisco Ballet performed it to rave reviews.)
So, in 2016, Welch created a brand new ballet for the company. The multi-million dollar version is dazzling with new costumes, choreography, and characters. A lovely addition is the costumed dancer sheepdog in Act 1 and the “real” snow that falls not only on stage but on the audience as well. Plus, dancers in costume hand out balloon animals before the curtain goes up and stellar sets by acclaimed British designer Tim Godchild extends beyond the stage. It was spectacular and received rave reviews nationally.
And then came Harvey.
Despite having precautionary storm doors fitted to the Wortham Theater Center — home to both the ballet and Houston Grand Opera — after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001, the rains generated by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 devastated the complex. The theater took on about 12 feet of water. The lower levels were completely flooded, dressing rooms and storage areas had to be gutted. Giant pumps and generators and crews of workers spent months repairing the venue. It took more than a year and about $100 million to repair all of the damage. The center reopened this September 26.
Luckily, after the rains ended, Houston Ballet had not lost everything. Because of its six-story, $46.6 million Center for Dance, opened in 2011, where the costumes and shoes were stored, everything for the new Nutcracker production was saved. The lengthy run generates a large portion of the company’s income, for most American ballet companies The Nutcracker is considered the cash cow that keeps them afloat.
But with the theater gone the only way to perform was to take the show on the road. That meant a split run last year with performances at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston.
But now, the Wortham has been restored, and the ballet is coming home for the holidays.
“We are very excited to be able to return the Wortham Theater for our wonderful Nutcracker. We’ve been on the road for a while now and to get to be home and to bring that ballet back to its full glory on that wonderful Wortham stage is something that I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting that is for all of us,” says Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch A.M. (Member of the Order of Australia.)
This will be the company’s first time performing back in its home theater.
“The people of Houston built The Wortham Theater Center to be Houston Ballet’s home, and in turn, we’ve built productions that are meant to live there,” says Principal Connor Walsh. “This couldn’t be truer when it comes to The Nutcracker. Not only is it our most popular production of the season but also the largest. Touring that show around Houston last season was a challenge that made our company stronger, but it’s time to go home for the holidays. It will be an emotional homecoming that all of us at Houston Ballet could not be more excited for.”
The production boasts 250 spectacular costumes, dozens of new characters and amazingly fresh choreography by Welch. The ballet still follows the story of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King that tells the tale of a young girl on Christmas Eve who dreams her toys come to life and fight off the Rat King and his minions. In this version, the rat minions come running down the aisle, delighting screaming children in the audience, before taking the stage to battle the toy soldiers.
And there are even more children in this version, besides the usual kids in the party scene and the gumdrops, Welch uses child dancers as little lambs, bees and tiny angels. And this is the first year that the company held open auditions for children, instead of just selecting them from Houston Ballet’s academy.
This is arguably the best Nutcracker production you will ever see, it is entertaining for children and lavish enough with brilliant choreography fan adult dance fans. And best of all, it is back home at the Wortham Theater Center.
“Houston Ballet’s 2018/19 Season will be an unforgettable year,” says Executive Director Jim Nelson. “We have been through so much as a company, and we look forward to returning to our home venue, the Wortham Theater.”
Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Nov. 23 – Dec. 29
Choreography: Stanton Welch
Score: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Costume/Set Design: Tim Goodchild
Lighting Design: Lisa Pinkham
houstonballet.org