Annabeth Crittenden, Campus Carrier Entertainment Editor
Although November is just halfway over, the Christmas spirit is in full swing at the Rome City Auditorium. The auditorium is the home of Rome’s version of “The Nutcracker,” a production put on by the Berry College Dance Troupe and other dance studios in the Rome area.
The show begins with dancers posed as toys, and as the orchestra plays the overture, a mischievous jack-in-the-box peeks out and begins bouncing to the music. The curtains are then opened to reveal a party scene complete with Christmas decorations and a massive grandfather clock.
The dance tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who receives a Nutcracker doll from her uncle. In the middle of the night, the doll comes to life and the two go on a series of wild and crazy adventures meeting an array of characters including the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Rat King. Junior Sarah Carroll beautifully portrayed the Sugar Plum Fairy, flawlessly completing her solo dance.
The show featured many Berry faces as well as dancers, children and actors from around Rome. One member of the Berry Dance Troupe is senior Stephen Stamps, who has played the role of the Nutcracker for the past two years.
“This is not a new [experience] for me, but there is a challenge every year with the choreography,” Stamps said.
Carroll’s sister, Mary Arden Carroll, made a wonderful Clara. Kaitlyn Rodgers also plays Clara on alternating nights, due to the demanding nature of the part.
“The Nutcracker,” first and foremost, is a long standing and wonderful tradition, and I am so happy that Rome has provided both Berry and local talent the chance to perform the famous and well-known dances. I remember well my first time seeing “The Nutcracker,” and the magic I felt that night is still present in Rome’s performance, several years later. Something about the music and the traditional dances can be translated to almost any stage or space in any country. And the Rome stage was no different.
Accompanied by the Rome Symphony Orchestra, the show is a spectacle in the highest degree, beginning even when patrons enter the auditorium to find nutcracker décor and Christmas trees strewn throughout the lobby. From the very first scene, the audience is greeted with a larger than life Christmas tree towering over the stage. From there the audience is swept away by the gorgeous costumes including lace and tulle galore. A personal favorite was the snow maidens’ dresses with their glittering embroidery.
While the first act existed to set up the plot of the performance, the second act was used as more of a showcase of different dances and styles. The Nutcracker and Clara are transported to Candy Land where they are entertained by dancers portraying different candy and parts of the world.
One of these characters, called Dewdrop is portrayed by junior Natalie Buczynsky.
“It’s been really fun to bring such a classic ballet to life,” Buczynsky said. “Everyone in the Rome community is being really innovative and transforming it and it has been really cool to be a part of that process.”
The show in itself only lasted around one hour, with a short intermission, but it was the perfect length to both bring in the Christmas spirit and introduce once again this beautiful tale to the Rome area.
The first act consisted of a party scene, bringing in many of the children. The scene then shifted to the fight between the Rat King and the Nutcracker before Clara and the Nutcracker’s trip to the snow forest.
Like many dance narratives, the story is simply crafted but allows the audience to be swept away all the same. I was not able to look away through the entire production because the dances were woven so beautifully within each other. Overall, I loved “The Nutcracker” and believe that everyone should go see this beautiful and traditional production. In the end it is not at all about the set or costumes or lighting. The show exists to tell a age-old story, highlighted with beautiful dances and a soundtrack that has somewhat defined the Christmas spirit for several decades.
“The Nutcracker” at the Rome City Auditorium will run from Thursday through Saturday. Tickets range from $10-20 and can be found online on TuTutix, on the Berry College Dance Troupe’s Facebook page, or by calling 855-222-2849.
