Ballet Quad Cities' “The Nutcracker" at the Adler Theatre -- December 14 and 15.
Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
On December 14 and 15, one of the Quad Cities' most adored holiday traditions returns to Davenport's Adler Theatre when the professional talents of Ballet Quad Cities perform Tchaikovsky's holiday dance classic The Nutcracker. This eagerly awaited family experience boasts original choreography by Artistic Director Courtney Lyon, live musical accompaniment by Orchestra Iowa, a cast of 60, and the return of popular guest artist Domingo Rubio, the longtime portrayer of the company's dancing Dracula.
Adapted from the 1816 story by E.T. A. Hoffman and debuting as a two-act ballet in 1892, The Nutcracker tells of the magical adventures of Clara, a young girl who falls asleep on Christmas Eve and dreams of an enchanted world filled with dancers from many continents, ambulatory toys, an ethereal Sugar Plum Fairy, and much, much more. With Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky contributing perhaps the richest and most instantly recognizable of his compositions, The Nutcracker has been a holiday perennial worldwide for generations, whisking audiences to such delightfully otherworldly realms as the Land of Sweets, the Land of Snow, and a battleground for soldiers and mice. Tchaikovsky's ballet has also been the subject of innumerable film and TV adaptations, with familiar portions of its score referenced in everything from Disney's Fantasia to The Simpsons to Grand Theft Auto V.
Domingo Rubio will assume the role of Clara's godfather, the mysterious toymaker and magician Herr Drosselmeyer, with Clara herself enacted by gifted student dancer Alexandra Ripley. Company member Christian Knopp, the ballet's rehearsal assistant, performs as The Nutcracker's Nutcracker Prince and one of the ballet's Ukrainian dancers, while Mahalia Zellmer portrays the villainous Rat Queen and appears as a much kinder dancing flower. For the second year running, the ballet's dazzling Sugar Plum Fairy is played by Eleanor Ambler while Marcus Pei's Cavalier partners her on their Grand Pas de Deux. There will also be featured dance roles for fellow Ballet Quad Cities' company members Stephen Scott (portraying Clara's father), Madeline Kreszenz (leading the Chinese Dance), Madeleine Rhode (performing the Spanish Dance), Jillian Van Cura (soloing on the Arabian Dance), and Sierra DeYoung, Kira Roberts, and Caitlin Sendlenski (teaming up for the Mirliton Dance).
And with additional choreography provided by Ballet Quad Cities Artistic Associate Emily Kate Long, The Nutcracker's ensemble is completed by a number of student dancers from the Quad Cities region, including those from the Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance, Academy for the Performing Arts, Belle Academy of Dance, Davenport Junior Theatre, Expressions Dance Studio, Family Museum Dance, Grand Ballet Academy, Impact Dance and Tumbling, Myrna Rae’s Studio of Dance, Studio A, and The Turning Pointe. Among those participating this year are: Celia Arnold; Maeve Beck; Olivia Behr; Thalia Boyd; Madilyn Casel; Lila Castro; Lilyanna Cool; Emmalyn Day-Kenney; Julia Ellis; Abigail Geyer; Kate Girskis; Amelia Gomez; Vivika Gonzales; Victroia Graves; Mairen Rae Hagen; Evvy Helmle; Emma Isaacson; Emmy Jackson; Kaylen Johnson; Availleah Jones; Kayleigh Kaldenback; Ava Kruse; Alivia Lavicka; Kate Mahraun; Margaret McClinton; Emersyn Mielke; Tya Miles; Evelyn Nelson; Leah Randleman; Kate Rosenbppm; Aria Smith; Angela Soebbing; Annelie Stollenwerk; Quinn Strickler; Francine Sutton; Shiori Suzuki; Maura Swanson; Madeline Traman; and Natalie Weyrick.
Ballet Quad Cities' The Nutcracker will be performed in downtown Davenport at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 15. Admission is $10-37, tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000, and more information on this year's performances is available by visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre and BalletQuadCities.com.
