Ballet by John Neumeier

The Nutcracker

Introduction at 6.20 pm

John Neumeier's “The Nutcracker” invites you to dream. The ballet tells the story of 12-year-old Marie, who receives a nutcracker and a pair of shiny, pink pointe shoes for her birthday. With this gift, there is nothing standing in the way of her wish to dance as beautifully as her older sister Louise. In her dream, the eccentric ballet master Drosselmeier appears and gently introduces her to the mysterious world of the theater. Marie watches a rehearsal at the court theater, follows a performance with a variety of colorful dances, and learns to dance herself. Throughout the piece, the childlike Marie not only discovers the world of ballet but also falls in love for the first time and matures into a young woman. John Neumeier's unique version of this classic is a coming-of-age story and at the same time a tribute to the legendary ballet master and choreographer Marius Petipa, who perfected classical ballet in the 19th century. The performance that Marie watches in Neumeier's adaptation is a celebration of classical ballet, in which well-known choreographies by Marius Petipa are quoted. The world-famous music of Peter Tchaikovsky, such as the "Waltz of the Flowers" or the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," evokes childhood memories. A ballet classic for the whole family, presented in vibrant costumes and a fairy tale set design by Jürgen Rose.

Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography and Staging: John Neumeier
Set and Costumes: Jürgen Rose

2 hours 30 minutes | 1 intermission
Act I: 60 minutes, Act II: 60 minutes

PREMIERE:
Frankfurt Ballet, Frankfurt, October 21, 1971
Premiere in Hamburg:
The Hamburg Ballet, October 27, 1974

ORIGINAL CAST:
Marie: Marianne Kruuse
Drosselmeier: Max Midinet
Louise: Persephone Samaropoulo
Günther: Egon Madsen

ON TOUR:
1977 Brussels 1981 Paris 1989 Osaka, Tokyo 2015 Muscat, Baden-Baden 2019 Hongkong

IN THE REPERTORY:
Ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris
Bavarian State Ballet
Dresden Semperoper Ballet
Royal Winnipeg Ballet

Supported by the Foundation for the Patronage of the Hamburg State Opera

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Act 1

Scene 1
Marie's Birthday
Marie has turned twelve, an age at which little girls stop playing with dolls. Her brother Fritz is a cadet and has invited his regimental comrades to the birthday party being held in her honor in their parents', Consul and Mrs. Stahlbaum's home. Marie's grandparents are also there, as are two aunts, one of them tipsy (the General's wife) and the other one art-conscious. Louise, Marie's sister and a ballerina at the Court Theater, has come with the ballet master Drosselmeier. Günther, one of Fritz's friends, is the spokesman for his fellow cadets, and in their name makes Marie a present of a Nutcracker. Drosselmeier the ballet master gives her a pair of silk ballet shoes. Marie is fascinated by Drosselmeier but falls in love, as little girls will, with the handsome cadet Günther.

Scene 2
Marie's Dream -The Rehearsal
When the party guests have left, Marie returns carrying her Nutcracker and puts on her ballet shoes. In her dream, a vision of Drosselmeier startles her, but when he introduces her to the strange, magical backstage world of the theater, she is entranced by her surroundings. The meeting with Günther reoccurs in her dream. She sees him again but now as a soloist in the Court Theater ballet ensemble. With him she dances for the first time on point, and then takes part in the general rehearsal.

Act 2

Scene 3
Marie's Dream -The Performance
Drosselmeier shows Marie how the production of a ballet is put together. The empty stage is transformed into a setting in which every preparation is being made for the following performance. Drosselmeier demonstrates a variety of Divertissements and occasionally dances in them himself.
First, a "Living Garden", then "The Beautiful Girl from Granada", "The Pharao's Daughter", "Esmeralda and the Clowns", "The Chinese Bird", Pas de Quatre, Variations for the Men, a Gigue, and "The Dancing Lieutenants".
In the Grand Pas de deux Louise and Günther dance together. But after the turbulent "Ballabile" Finale, the magical world of the theater disappears. Marie is awakened by her mother and sadly takes leave of her dreamworld.

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Ballet by John Neumeier

The Nutcracker

Impressions