The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli
by Tony Charmoli
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alexander Minz, Gayle Young, Gelsey Kirkland, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nanette GlushakDirector: Tony Charmoli
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Classical, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 78 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Kultur Video
Movie Reviews of The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli
Movie Review: Make it a supplementary Nutcracker
Summary: 2 Stars
The strengths of this Nutcracker can be summed up very simply: the dancing of Baryshnikov and Kirkland, which is to no one's surprise excellent and engaging. And there is some fine dancing from other members of the American Ballet Theater.
However, if you're looking for a Nutcracker that will cause you to revel in the holidays as well as Tchaikovsky's glorious music, this isn't it.
The sets by Boris Aronson range from a very ordinary parlor for Act 1 to a downright ugly fantasy candyland for Act 2. The costuming is second rate. The Chinese dancers don't look Chinese; the Russians don't look Russian. Other costuming seems cheap and uninspired. The general filming is too soft focus with not enough color contrast. And who's idea was it to have the ugly Act 2 thrones downstage blocking the action?
From a choreographic standpoint, this is also a disappointing production.
The children in Act 1 don't have much fun dancing and there are not enough of them. The adults don't act particularly well. It seems corners were cut in a lot of the dances in Act 2 which seem under populated and lacking in imagination and fire. You'd think the Russian dance in a Baryshnikov production would set your TV on fire; it is so tame and forgetable here. The Arabian dance is sadly missing altogether!
The idea of having Drosselmeyer appear in the climactic Act 2
pas de deux is a major distraction. He's simply out of place and adds no joy to the procedings. I'm sure this was meant as some deep psychological addition to the procedings, but it simply kills the moment and has nothing to do with the sublime music. And Act 2, which should end on a magical note, seems downright despressing in this production as Kirkland gazes out of a window like a lost soul???
If you want to revel in Nutcracker as a holiday treat, you must turn to the glorious Balanchine version with the NYC Ballet (on DVD) which has Christmas and joy written all over it. Sumptuosly designed, filmed and cast, it should be your first choice. The ABT version can only serve a supplementary version for a serious collection.
Summary of The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli
The Nutcracker marked the initial choreographic effort of Baryshnikov, universally hailed as one of the world's greatest dancers. Under Baryshnikov's inventive direction, the traditionally lighthearted story of a small girl's dream on Christmas Eve is transformed into a more complex theatrical experience. Broadcast regularly on PBS, this American Ballet Theatre performance (directed in the studio by Tony Charmoli) stars Gelsey Kirkland as Clara and Mikhail Baryshnikov at the peak of his artistic ability as the Prince/Nutcracker.The American Ballet Theater version of the Tchaikovsky classic, a 1977 studio rendition directed by Tony Charmoli, has become a holiday perennial on PBS stations and home video. It's a favorite of parents who want to give their kids the gift of culture--and with good reason. There's a loose fairy tale plot to keep dance neophytes interested, and Boris Aronson's eye-candy production design is a series of lavish dioramas. From an imperial-era Russian Christmas party out of Tolstoy, a young girl named Clara (Gelsey Kirkland) is whisked in dreams to an imaginary world populated by the animated creations of the wizard toy maker Drosselmeier (Alexander Minz), who prances on his stick-thin limbs like a Dickens illustration come to life. The main attraction is, of course, Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the greatest classical dancers of the century, at his absolute peak of athleticism and precision. An opening slow-motion montage diagrams his fabled smoothness of execution, elegant airborne trajectories that have a feather-light perfection. Music lovers who know only "The Nutcracker Suite" will relish the chance to hear this great score all the way through, conducted with lilt and vigor by Kenneth Schermerhorn. --David Chute
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