A lavish, exciting and heartwarming celebration of dance, of music, and of life. Pnb to shelve its beloved version of nutcracker in 2015. Hoffmans the nutcracker and the mouse king, kent stowell and maurice sendak delved deeply into the original story and infused the ballet with a drama and strength that fully. Her beloved nutcracker culkin comes to life and defends her from the mouse king, then is turned into a prince. The motion picture, like the stowell sendak stage production on which it is based, is presented as clara s comingofage story. The stowell and sendak nutcracker contributed significantly to the companys identity, holding the stage for 32 seasons. Maurice sendaks weird and wondrous illustrations for the nutcracker it is rare and genuine and does justice to the private world of children. In some references, the young heroine is referred to as marie or masha. The nutcracker act ii the dance of the sugar plum fairy, coda by myballetstellar. The majestic tree was constructed by boeing engineers and weighs 1,000 pounds. Stowell and sendack nutcracker wont be retired until an original clara sees it one more time. This is a very well done nutcracker put on by the pacific northwest ballet in the 1980s. Nov 27, 2015 in 1983, under artistic directors kent stowell and francia russell, the company presented a new production with choreography by stowell and scenic and costume designs by famed childrens author and illustrator maurice sendak.
In 1891, tchaikovsky was invited to new york city to conduct his music for the grand opening of mr. Perhaps this film will liberate the nutcracker from its fate as an annual holiday chestnut. Dec 23, 2014 in seattle, maurice sendaks wild nutcracker reaches its final act for more than 30 years, the pacific northwest ballets nutcracker has used sets and costumes designed by the author of where. Choreographed by kent stowell and designed by celebrated childrens author maurice sendak.
The nutcracker has a lovely shell, but theres nothing inside. The ballet is choreographed by pacific northwest ballet artistic director kent stowell b. Maurice sendak hated the tchaikovsky version of the nutcracker. Hoffmans the nutcracker and the mouse king, stowell and sendak delved deeply into the original story and infused the ballet with a. A diorama by maurice sendak, created in the early 1980s during the design process for oliver knussens operatic adaptation of sendak s where the wild things are, is on view at the morgan.
Wonderfully reimagined through the eyes of maurice sendak, the nutcracker is the perfect tradition for any young childs christmas. In 1983 maurice sendak designed the set for the pacific northwestern ballets production of nutcracker. The pnb version was choreographed by kent stowell and with sets designed by maurice sendak. Made into a movie by the director carroll ballard, with choreography by kent stowell and an incredible set and costumes by maurice sendak, it is well worth the vhs tape to view. When she falls asleep she dreams of her nutcracker prince rescuing her from the mouse king. How young ballerinas become clara in the nutcracker. Pacific northwest ballet nutcracker cd baby music store. This was further accentuated by the scene with the mice, which is too menacing and with the tearing and clawing of clara s dress it was almost like an attempted rape. With paul boyd, joyce cuoco, tero julku, anna vita. Maurice sendak, in full maurice bernard sendak, born june 10, 1928, brooklyn, new york, u. In this reimagining of the ballet by pnb founding artistic director kent stowell and famed writer and illustrator maurice sendak, young clara played by vanessa sharp defeats the multiheaded mouse king all on her own with a wellaimed, enchanted pointe shoe. The colorful holiday classic is finally brought to the big screen, designed by famed childrens story author and artist maurice sendak, and written for the first time to be as close as possible to the original story.
After 31 years and hundreds of performances, pacific northwest ballet has begun its farewell to kent stowell and maurice sendak s nutcracker. The opening shots of the nutcracker show an illustrator setting out his tools and beginning to sketch some of the sets and characters in the story. Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. Hoffmann, later watered down for the famous ballet. The motion picture with designs and costumes by maurice sendak, bejarts nutcracker and mark morris the hard nut. Hoffmanns nutcracker, illustrated with wildrumpus appeal by maurice sendak, restores the holiday classic to its original enigmatic luster. The motion picture designed by legendary author and artist maurice sendak where the wild things are. We found some old vhs tapes with hours of behind the scenes footage from the original filming of nutcracker. During the party clara s bratty brother breaks her beloved nutcracker, a wooden soldier with a nutcracking jaw.
The only perfect use of those three minutes in the nutcracker known as the arabian dance. Jun 16, 2012 on december, 1983, pacific northwest ballet premieres a new production of nutcracker. On christmas eve, a little girl named marie cohen falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself or does she. The best, worst and weirdest versions of the nutcracker syfy. Her beloved nutcracker culkin comes to life and defends her from the mouse king, then is turned into a prince after. The ballet tells the story of clara, a young girl whose grandfather gives her a nutcracker at a party. From the nutcraker pacific northwest ballet, kent stowell. Pacific northwest ballet premieres kent stowellmaurice. Sendaks first professional encounter with nutcracker came when he was approached by the pacific northwest ballet to recreate the original e. Clara, her family, and all their guests dance at the christmas party.
Maurice sendak s designs for opera and ballet is made possible with generous support from the rita markus fund for exhibitions, the maurice sendak foundation, the caroline morgan macomber fund, rudy and sally ruggles, and the david berg foundation, with assistance from marilyn j. Maurice sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the pacific northwest ballets christmas production of nutcracker and created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. Dec 01, 2012 the nutcracker by sendak and hoffmann posted on december 1, 2012 by tygertale 1 comment since maurice sendak died earlier this year ive been digging through his back catalogue, uncovering childhood favourites like the big green book and discovering new classics like i saw esau. In the 80s, kent stowell and maurice sendak controversially modified the ballet to better suit both the story and tone of the original hoffman tale. Heres one id not heard of before, his take on that old christmas chestnut the nutcracker. Discovering maurice sendak, the opera designer the new. This is easily the best adaptation of the nutcracker ive seen, on stage or film. Balanchines nutcracker will never be the nutcracker of my. The best, worst and weirdest versions of the nutcracker. Sendak, stowell and the history of pnbs unique nutcracker. Superior dancers, fabulous sets by maurice sendak, and a better telling through dance and sets than any other nutcracker ballet i have seen. Maurice sendak s designs for opera and ballet the exhibit, which runs from june 14.
So, it was quite exciting when a few weeks ago i received a copy of nutcracker, hoffmanns original story translated by ralph manheim with illustrations by maurice sendak. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share. One can, after all, count on the instincts of a genius. At long last, nutcracker, the motion picture, carroll ballards film of the pacific northwest ballets maurice sendak designed production is available on an official region one dvd from mgm, the films current owner. In seattle, maurice sendak s wild nutcracker reaches its final act for more than 30 years, the pacific northwest ballets nutcracker has used sets and costumes designed by. Maurice sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the. We went to see the matthew vaughan production earlier.
Knowing what to expect can also help younger viewers feel brave during the more intense scenes, like the battle against the mouse king. The stories behind maurice sendaks nutcracker designs. So the pair agreed to abandon the predictable nutcracker and set out to find a fresh version that would do honor to hoffmann and the ballets composer. Of all the nutcracker adaptations covered here, this is the hidden gem that deserves a second. Come on in and sit by the fire, enjoy the tree, make yourself a hot cup of cocoa and enjoy the classic tale of the nutcracker. Hoffmans classic story, the nutcracker and the mouseking is the tale of a spoiled prince who lives in a magnificent palace with his magician uncle, drosselmeier. On the contrary, this book beautifully printed and bound features the original story written by e. George balanchines the nutcracker tv spot 2015 youtube. In 1983, under artistic directors kent stowell and francia russell, the company presented a new production with choreography by stowell and scenic and costume designs by famed childrens author and illustrator maurice sendak. In seattle, maurice sendaks wild nutcracker reaches its final act.
Pnb prepares to raise the curtain on a bold new nutcracker. On the voyage to america, he began sketching music for a ballet based on e. Dancing, designing and drawing childhood nutcracker artists as fairy tale figures 49 balanchine and marie in battle 51 morris and his modernized marie moment 54 sendak and clara come of age 57 part 5. In balanchines nutcracker, clara does not grow up but visits a place called the land of the sweets with drosselmeiers. However, the disc is part of foxmgms manufactureondemand studio classics series. Let us be your instant christmas escape into a world of majesty and wonder, a world filled with wooden soldiers and sugarplum fairies. Dont get me wrong this looks lovely, but the maurice sendak. Before they can hit the ground, the prince turns back into a nutcracker and clara a young girl again is jolted awake from what has turned out to be a dream. The nutcracker by maurice sendak enchanted booklet. Oct 19, 2012 maurice sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the pacific northwest ballets christmas production of nutcracker and created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book.
This seattle tradition choreographed 31 years ago by the companys then artistic director kent stowell with vibrant sets by esteemed childrens author maurice sendak where the wild things are will be retired when the final curtain comes down. The arabian peacock dance is still stunning, sexy, and haunting today. Hoffmans original story, the nutcracker and the mouse king, or the maurice sendakillustrated version of the book called simply nutcracker. The bold and imaginative costumes and set design dreamt up by sendak, the author of where the wild things are, has given seattle a nutcracker unlike any other for decades, and mark zappone has been in pnbs costume shop from the start. I personally would have preferred brighter and more christmassylooking colours, especially in act 2 which is often magical but too drab here. Pacific northwest ballet to present the nutcracker, today. The motion picture, also known as pacific northwest ballets. In 1986, a featurelength film of the stowell sendak nutcracker was premiered in seattle and released. It was moody and beautiful and weird, and wholeheartedly focused on the inner world of. Since maurice sendak died earlier this year ive been digging through his back catalogue, uncovering childhood favourites like the big green book and discovering new classics like i saw esau. In this reimagining of the ballet by pnb founding artistic director kent stowell and famed writer and illustrator maurice sendak, young clara. In ovations 2009 battle, the competitors were mark morris the hard nut, the london royal ballets the nutcracker, the ballet of monte carlos casse noisette circus casse noisette is french for nutcracker, the bolshoi ballets the nutcracker, and maurice bejarts nutcracker. The images really flow, and the maurice sendak designs are at once graceful and funny and slightly malevolent giving the material the edge it needs to avoid candyland preciousness.
Dec 23, 2014 maurice sendaks weird and wondrous illustrations for the nutcracker it is rare and genuine and does justice to the private world of children. Director kent stowellpacific northwest ballets nutcracker should be on everyones holiday calendar. History of the nutcracker pacific northwest ballet. Pnbs stowellsendak nutcracker takes a final bow the. The brilliant result of close collaboration between pnb founding artistic director and choreographer kent stowell and renowned childrens book author and illustrator maurice sendak, nutcracker premiered to national acclaim in december 1983. Dec 10, 2014 a short version of the nutcracker story, using, as much as i could, the illustrations by maurice sendak. Ballard is a great director who adapts his skills to the material.
Hoffmans original story, the nutcracker and the mouse king, or the maurice sendak illustrated version of the book called simply nutcracker. Clara in the nutcracker is the daughter of a toy maker who is given a nutcracker doll for christmas. He joined with the eminent translator ralph manheim to produce this illustrated edition of hoffmanns wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all. Final bow for stowellsendak nutcracker katherine chloe cahoon. Stowell and sendack nutcracker wont be retired until an. In seattle, maurice sendak s wild nutcracker reaches its final act for more than 30 years, the pacific northwest ballets nutcracker has used sets and costumes designed by the author of where. Nov 02, 2018 hoffmanns tale was all about rejecting realism and nutcracker fantasy best exemplifies the hallucinogenic qualities of the story, particularly in one lushly animated scene where clara and her nutcracker prince take various forms and dance together. Maurice sendaks nutcracker illustrations dancing perfectly. I have the vhs from years ago and had it converted to a movie file. Nutcracker the motion picture official trailer youtube.
This is not just a hackneyed version of the nutcracker dressed up by the magnificent illustrations of maurice sendak. The classic childrens tale and iconic ballet remain a christmas. Hoffmanns classic story, 1816 the nutcracker and the mouse king one year later, in 1984, the book version, was published. Balanchines nutcracker will never be the nutcracker of my childhood.
Nutcracker, which debuted in 1983 with designs by maurice sendak and. So the pair agreed to abandon the predictable nutcracker and set out to find a fresh version that would do. The following year saw the publication ofnutcracker, a new edition of the original hoffman story, with illustrations by sendak, that remained on the new york times best seller list for eight weeks. The colorful holiday classic is finally brought to the big screen, designed by famed childrens story author and artist maurice sendak, and written for the first time to be as close as possible to. Nov 06, 2017 by treva bedinghaus updated july 02, 2017 is clara the name of the main female character in the nutcracker ballet. Sendak was the son of polish immigrants and received his formal art training at the art students league of new york. That night clara dreams of being shrunken down to the size of a mouse and having her toys come to life around her. This beautifully hardbound edition makes a great addition to any child, or adults library. The young clara is awakened from a dream on christmas eve to attend a family party. A signature moment of pacific northwest ballets stowellsendak nutcracker occurs when clara s christmas tree grows from 14 to 28 feet. Dec 22, 2014 if youve never seen pacific northwest ballets pnb famous nutcracker, now is the time.
He also plays up the subtext of the story acting as a metaphor for claras adolescence. The colorful holiday classic is finally brought to the big screen, designed by famed childrens story author and artist maurice sendak, and written. With sets and costumes designed by renowned illustrator maurice sendak. The motion picture is the 1986 film version of the pacific northwests maurice sendak production. In the ballet, gone is basically half of the plot in favor of a seemingly neverending parade of characters putting on a performance for the nutcracker and clara. In 1979, one kent stowell, choreographer for the pacific northwest ballet, contacted illustrator maurice sendak about collaborating on a new ballet production of the nutcracker. George balanchines the nutcracker arabian coffee ft. The chinese dance in the artist maurice sendak and the choreographer kent stowells production of the nutcracker, which is presented each season by the pacific northwest ballet in. Ian falconers costume design was inspired by the maurice sendak version they both emulate a peacock. With darci kistler, damian woetzel, kyra nichols, wendy whelan. With nutcracker season less than a month away, ive been feeling that the ballet might even have a serious theme for me this year, as i see it thematically as concerned with the absorbtion of evil or the fearful into the peaceful ideals of the bourgeois world or perhaps the neutralizing or the. Sendak was not interested at first, until stowell asked him to read the original story by hoffmann. However, the disc is part of foxmgms manufactureon. Pacific northwest ballets nutcracker, with lavish sets and costumes by maurice sendak and choreography by kent stowell, has been a tradition for seattlearea families since 1983.
When we hear the name maurice sendak, our mind cant help but to immediately think of his oh so famous picture book where the wild things are. Although its not absolutely faithful to the original choreography, the pacific northwest ballets nutcracker with sets and costumes designed by childrens book author maurice sendak. The motion picture, like the stowellsendak stage production on which it is based, is presented as clara s comingofage story. Based upon the pacific northwest ballets original production. Hoffmanns fantasy story, the nutcracker and the mouse king. Balanchine uses act ii to introduce clara and the prince to foods and. The drawings are by maurice sendak, an artist whose work inspired this production, and they supply a promising beginning. Dec 17, 2001 maurice sendak is best know for his book. Dec, 2017 balanchines nutcracker will never be the nutcracker of my childhood. But not once as a child do i recall reading the story, written by eta hoffmann in 1816.