I'm hopelessly sentimental about Nutcracker, but my uncle Brooks takes a dimmer view. "It's a story for adults," he says. "Remember, the ballet starts with a frightened little girl and ends with a frightened little girl."
Although Nutcracker is about Clara, who goes to sleep on Christmas Eve, dreams of fantastic creatures, and meets a handsome prince, my uncle suggests keeping an eye on Clara's godfather, Drosselmeyer. "Clara dreams that the Nutcracker battles the malevolent Mouse King. She had the nightmare because she knows her godfather is coming to the Christmas party. In the next scene," Brooks notes, "Drosselmeyer appears, torments her, and she's frightened."
"Drosselmeyer is sinister," contends Brooks, "for he then unveils figurines who recreate Clara's nightmare." But doesn't Drosselmeyer also cheer Clara up with the gift of the Nutcracker? "Don't forget," Brooks counters, " the Nutcracker comes from Drosselmeyer, who appeases her with what she desires, a handsome prince. The old coot covets her."
The ballet's most sumptuous sequences follow. After everyone goes to bed, Clara dreams and dances with her prince—the resurrected Nutcracker—in the snow. They sail to the distant land of the Pasha, who dazzles them with dancing dervishes and other exotic entertainments.
"Only the peacock has symbolic significance," declares Brooks. "This is the clincher: The Pasha, who resembles Drosselmeyer, possesses a caged peacock, whose erotic dance embodies the pinnacle of his sexual desire and domination. We see Drosselmeyer offer her treasure after treasure—a dowry—to have her. At that point, the prince and Clara are about to depart, but the Pasha waves the boat on. The prince sails away. A horrified Clara wakens. Trapped, she knows she's not going to have her Prince Charming." CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI
Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker runs through Wed Dec 28 (McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St, 441-2424), various times, $18–$102. See www.pnb.org/season/nutcracker/nutsched-2005.html for details.
