Ballet Quad Cities' “The Nutcracker" at the Adler Theatre -- December 13 and 14.
Saturday, December 13, and Sunday, December 14
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
On December 13 and 14, 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 toy-maker and magician Herr Drosselmeyer, with Clara herself enacted by Ballet Quad Cities' gifted dancers Madeline Kreszenz (Saturday at 7 p.m.) and Kira Roberts (Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.). Fellow company member Corbin Phillips 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. The ballet's dazzling Sugar Plum Fairy is played by Madeleine Rhode 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 Eleanor Ambler, Sierra DeYoung, Dagny Ingle, Emerald Pease, Sarah Pfeiffer, Caitlin Sendlenski, and Juillian Van Cura.
And with additional choreography provided by Ballet Quad Cities Artistic Associate Emily Kate Long and Eleanor Ambler serving as rehearsal assistant, 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, Above the Barre, Backstage Dance & Tumbling, Belle Academy of Dance, Davenport Junior Theatre, Expressions Dance Studio, Family Museum Dance, Studio A, The Dancer’s Place, The and Turning Pointe Dance Studio, as well as members of the community. Among the nearly four dozen participating this year are: Ely Adams; Celia Arnold; Olivia Behr; Thaila Boyd; Madilyn Casel; Lila Castro; Lillyanna Cool; Adley DePover; Harper DePover; Kate Girskis; Amelia Gomez; Victoria Graves; Doreen Gree-Thomas; Mairen Hagen; Hadley Hanneman; Evvy Helmle; Frances Hughes; Janae Hunter; Emma Isaacson; Emmy Jackson; Availleah Jones; Kaylen Johnson; Kayleigh Kaldenback; Ava Kruse; Alivia Lavicka; Kate Mahraun; Margaret McClinton; Emersyn Mielke; Tya Miles; Evelyn Nelson; Leah Randleman; Alexandra Ripley; Elizabeth Schladt; Aria Smith; Angela Soebbing; Molly Strickler; Quinn Strickler; Francine Sutton; Shiori Suzuki; Janelle C. Tang; George Traman; Madeline Traman; Beatrix Zaehringer; and Lydia Kupke.
Beyond the Nutcracker performances themselves, Ballet Quad Cities will again host their annual Afterglow Party at Davenport's Stompbox Brewing (210 East River Drive) following the Saturday-night performance. At the event, guests can enjoy the specially themed Nutcracker Brown Ale (for which BQC receives a dollar back from every beer purchased), delicious food, and conversation with Courtney Lyon, the Nutcracker ensemble, and other dance fans.
In addition, at the Adler Theatre's 12:30 p.m. Cookies with Clara and Herr Drosselmeyer on Sunday, December 14, Nutcracker fans can meet the famed ballet characters, hear the story of The Nutcracker, enjoy a photo opportunity, and receive a special gift from Drosselmeyer himself, guest artist Domingo Rubio. The delicious cookies for this event will be baked by hand with lots of love by Topping and More.
Ballet Quad Cities' The Nutcracker will be performed in downtown Davenport at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 14. Admission is $13-65, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000. An additional school matinee performance has also been added this year, with a few seats still available for the 1 p.m. performance on Friday, December 12. For more information on this year's performances, visit DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre and BalletQuadCities.com.
