User Reviews

I was in the Nutcracker 30 years ago and have many fond memories doing the Chinese section in the second act. This new production is beautifully choreographed and danced. The production design and costume design are breathtaking. The attention to detail in this is production is evident from the imaginative opening sequence to the final grand pas de deux. I loved the sequence showing Clara shrinking down to the size of her toys. Theatre magic at it's best. The new setting and concept of taking place during the 1915 SanFrancisco World's Fair fits the story so perfectly you would think it was written during that time period. I recommend this fine production to anyone who loves the Nutcracker or just wants to see some very spectacular classic ballet dancing. A+++

I am very fond of ballet, and for me Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is among the best ballets ever written. While not the best Nutcracker I've seen, this San Francisco production was wonderful, and made the most of the timeless story with interesting and intricate choreography(ie. the Pas De Deux) and also of the amazing music. The costumes and sets, even with an updated setting, still look absolutely beautiful and further advantaged by clear picture quality and excellent video directing. The sound just adds to the magnificence of the score, the orchestra play with passion, wit and pathos and the conducting is efficient. The dancing is done in a very elegant fashion, Clara especially is very mature in her movements while also maintaining that appealing girl-like quality in it. All in all, timeless and wonderful production of one of the best ballets I have had the pleasure of hearing or seeing. 10/10 Bethany Cox

In getting rid of some Christmas programs I recorded last month, I finally got to watch this new version of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker as presented on "Great Performances: Dance of America" series. Kristi Yamaguchi was the host as she showed some of the costumes and designs of the production as well as showing some silent film clips of the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair otherwise known as the Panama-Pacific Exposition. That event marked the setting of the second act where much of the familiar music I knew initially from Walt Disney's Fantasia came from. All the dances were great and I was wholly enthralled by it all. After that, there was a brief short about the Fair itself with many more clips as well as color tinted photos and other memorabilia to illustrate what went on there. All I can say at this point is I hope many of you reading this had also seen and enjoyed this special program on PBS last month and, if you wanted, had gotten the DVD they provided the address and phone number for at the program's end.