The Nutcracker Kansas City Theatre reviews
Nutcracker-Where are you Christmas???
It is my opinion that:
The overall tone of this Ballet took me to a small community event where over achievers, under achievers and "used to be's" come together to enhance their children's first (or second) time experience on stage.
The Nutcracker himself was genuine, earnest and endearing in his handling of Clara.
The drop down scenery was beautifully painted.
Each main cast member made their role memorable but unfortunately, the fluidity of the group performance lacked due to this. It seemed the cast members knew that they had an overall under budget and under produced production and determined to "save their own skins".
The constant scurrying of the plethora of young children in the play was distracting for awhile but became so common, so as to appear to be a filler for lack of dancing and dancers.
The Russian dancer tried hard but it was embarrassing to have ...one.
The backstage crew were visible to the audience ( I sat row B Seat 32) and it was hard not to see the stage hand under Clara's bed as it whizzed around the stage.
The timing between the crescendos of the Orchestra and the lifts and turns of the dancers were always just off, leaving the viewer never quite reaching the seasonal satisfaction and enchantment that the Nutcracker can provide.