Little
kids are supposed to go see The Nutcracker at the holidays. It’s a rule. Even
if tots don’t really comprehend what’s going on, heck, people are jumping
around and there’s music.
But
if you want to show the kids the story without all that ballet folderol, take
them to Clara & The Nutcracker,
now at Talespinner Children’s Theatre. In this clever adaptation by local actor
and writer Anne McEvoy, the focus is on the yarn about Clara and her fantastical
relationship with a kitchen appliance dressed up as a soldier.
It
all begins in a surprising manner, with “stagehands” in white jumpsuits being
called upon at the last minute to fill in for a ballet company that got
stranded in a snowstorm. Happily, they’re all wearing Nutcracker costumes under
their jumpsuits (as all stagehands do…don't ask), and soon, true to this company’s moniker, they’re spinning
the tale.
Under
the skillful direction of Alison Garrigan and thanks to an inventive cast, it’s easy to follow the plot as Uncle Drosselmeyer
(Michael Regnier) gifts Clara (Tania Benites) with the nutcracker (Ryan
Christopher) and she sails off on her adventure.
Charles
Hargrave delights in various roles as Clara’s brother Fritz, the Mouse King and
the Snowflake King, and Elaine Feagler is a hoot as a non-traditional Sugar
Plum Faerie.
As
always with TCT, there are puppets and masks. These work well, especially when
gaggle of mice is represented by Sarah Moore as the Mouse Queen puppet and a
couple other actors play mice with additional mice strapped to their heads.
There is also lots of audience participation (“Be a ticking clock!” “Be a
scratchy mouse!”) that keeps the small patrons on their toes.
This
is fun stuff for kids, and there are enough witty asides in McEvoy’s script to
keep adults amused (one character threatening the Nutcracker: “You’ve cracked
your final filbert!”).
As
seems to be true with many TCT plays, the littler audience members seem to
reach their attention span limit at about 50 minutes. So the last ten minutes
of many productions, including this one, feel a bit dicey as the kids squirm.
Clara is a sure-fire winner for
families with small children. And it’s especially fun to see the kids meet the
costumed actors up close and personal, immediately after the performance. If
you like to see those little eyes light up, haul ‘em over to Talespinner this
month.
Clara
& The Nutcracker
Through
December 21 at the Talespinner Children’s Theatre, The Reinberger Auditorium,
5209 Detroit Avenue, 216-264-9680.
No comments:
Post a Comment