Cracked Dancers

The Moscow Ballet brings a Nutcracker to life

Comments (0) By Merritt Martin Thursday, Nov 20 2008

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There is a holiday story that's bigger than Santa's bag of toys. That blows the nose off Rudolph. That melts Frosty and burns Alfie the Christmas tree...no, never mind, no one messes with Alfie (regardless of his association with John Denver). This legendary tale travels through reality, Nod and a few actual countries, to boot. It tells of a sweet young girl who receives a magical toy, no wait, um, decorated kitchen utensil for Christmas. In her dreams, that night, the wooden soldier with a nut-cracking mouth turns into a groovy and very limber prince who dances with her, feeds her and introduces her to all his culturally diverse friends...and in this case, a world with only peace. Now, I don't know about you, but the Moscow Ballet is one of the few companies to be trusted with Tchaikovsky's timeless and memorable ballet, even if they do tweak it a bit for political correctness and anti-war messages. The touring company also uses local children in each city, no doubt making some serious holiday wishes come true for stage moms and leotard-clad kids, alike. The Great Russian Nutcracker takes the stage Thursday through Sunday at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. Tickets are $37.50 to $87.50. Call 214-373-8000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Nov. 20-23, 2008