Nashville Ballet presents:
Nashville's Nutcracker (All ages)
TPAC's Jackson Hall
505 Deaderick St., Nashville
782-4040 • nashvilleballet.com
Show times: Fri 7 p.m., Sat - Sun 2 - 7 p.m.
Tickets: $22.25 - $82

The holidays come with family traditions, and the most longstanding in the entertainment arena in Middle Tennessee continues to be Nashville Ballet's wonderful production of Nutcracker.  Celebrating the fourth year of the ballet's new rendition set within Tennessee's centennial celebration in 1897, Artistic Director and Choreographer Paul Vasterling's vision and direction remains imaginative and glorious.

Nutcracker features magnificent set design by Shigeru Yaji. Yaji's work is spectacular throughout and perfectly enchanting once Clara arrives in the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Likewise, Campbell Baird's costume design is extremely detailed and luscious. Add to that Scott Leathers' engaging lighting, and you have a visually stunning display of art that succinctly hugs the fierce talent of the company dancers.

Kasey Broekema gives a wonderfully expressive performance as young Clara. She is a talented dancer at a young age, and delivers dramatic moments well.

Eric Harris dazzles the stage with his magical portrayal of Clara's mystical Uncle Drosselmeyer. Harris executes of the show's many optical illusions (with several new ones this year) in a spellbinding manner, garnering as many mouth-dropping awe moments from the adult audience as the happy, captivated youngsters.

Sadie Bo Harris and Jon Upleger bring to life Act I's signature segment as the Snow Queen and King. With the help of a large cast of graceful snowflake characters, Harris gives a dynamic performance that delivers the majesty the scene commands.

The Act II curtain rises to find Clara in the Parthenon garden watching the mythical dance of the Dewdrop Fairy, which Andrea Vierra delivers.

The second act's main character is the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the beautiful Kayla Rowser gives a wonderful portrayal throughout.

Act II encompasses myriad festive moments that include great displays of talent by way of Spanish, Chinese and Russian dance sequences. The children in the cast who appear as cute little lambs greatly enhance the Swiss Shepherd/Shepherdess (Mark Allyn Minno and Mollie Sansone, respectively) number. Likewise, the young dancers who portray the bon bons in the sweet Madame Bonbonniere number bring a grand amount of delight to the stage.

Further, Alexandra Meister's Snake Lady (traditionally known as the Arabian number), is undoubtedly the standout performance in Act II. Meister is breathtaking here by means of dance technique and body control.

The Nashville Symphony, under the direction of Paul Gambill, performs Tchaikovsky's exquisite score, bringing out the magic and beauty of this timeless music.

A large part of the Christmas season is about engaging the child-like awe in one's soul, whether you're a "kid" from 1 to 92. One thing is certain: Nashville Ballet's Nutcracker celebrates the majesty of the season and the magic of childhood wonder.