IPB Ushers in the Holidays With ‘The Nutcracker’

Clara and Fritz fight over the toy Nutcracker. – Photo by E.Y. Yanagi

By Nathaniel Cayanan

To kick off the holiday season, the critically acclaimed Inland Pacific Ballet has started its annual tour around Southern California. They will be performing the holiday classic The Nutcracker.

First, the Libretto. The production starts with Christmas Eve, when young Clara, played at certain performances by the ever-graceful Lauren Collett (who has played the lead character for the past two seasons for the company) receives a present from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, played by Steven Voznick. The present is a nutcracker in the shape of a soldier, which, once the clock strikes midnight, becomes a true-to-life dancing man who brings Clara to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets where she’s treated to a celebration flavored by the cultures of the world.

Unfortunately, this production lacks a live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky melodies that we’ve all grown to love, but the ornate costumes courtesy of Jeanne Nolden and beautiful backdrops and visuals provided by Daniel C. Nyiri and Joseph R. Walls more than make up the difference.

Besides, what really captivates in this production is the dancing. With more than 80 dancers and a team of choreographers led by artistic directors Victoria Koenig and Kevin Frank Meyers, the two-act production exhibits a diverse group of truly talented dancers who captivate with even their most subtle gestures.

Final bows for the cast of The Nutcracker. – Photo by E.Y. Yanagi

Meilu Zhai, principal dancer for IPB with an accomplished dancing history from Beijing to Paris, magnifies with carefully crafted grace as the Sugar Plum Fairy. With incredible buoyancy, Zhai flutters across the stage showing off her years fine tuning. This is especially true in her performance during Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and her dance numbers with her Cavalier, played by Cameron Schwanz, who also provides a delightful performance both with Zhai and solo, as he exhibits a level of athletic grace that reminds us why ballet is such an magnificent art. And who can forget the Nutcracker himself this time played by Reece Taylor, who provides a charming, truly prince-like presence when he takes the stage, even when he wears the bulky nutcracker mask.

In all, with a battalion of skilled dancers and elegant aesthetics, The Nutcracker graces us with a mesmerizing show that will, for many, surely become a new holiday tradition.

The Nutcracker will play until Dec. 20 with admission at $19-$55. Venues, dates and times are listed below:

Bridges Auditorium, Pomona College, 450 North College Way, Claremont, CA 91711
Saturday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2 p.m.

Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Saturday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m.

Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
Friday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m.

Information & Tickets: IPBALLET.org.

The Playbill from Sunday’s performance. – Photo by Nathaniel Cayanan

More from Arcadia Weekly