Herr Drosselmeyer, I presume? Nutcracker elder can be sweet or sinister, depending on who's dancing.The Sugar Plum A sugar plum is a piece of candy that is made of sugar and shaped in a small round or oval shape. Sugar plums are widely associated with Christmas, through cultural phenomena such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker Fairy and Clara may be the most coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. and closely watched roles in The Nutcracker, but it's the enigmatic Drosselmeyer who sets the ballet's dramatic tone early on. Whether kindly, comic, or mysterious, Drosselmeyer is typically played by character dancers who've honed their acting skills over time, in productions ranging from completely classical to utterly unconventional. Even seasoned Nutcracker viewers may be surprised to find how many of their favorite dancers and choreographers have worn Drosselmeyer's cloak. --Heather Wisner [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Opposite: Rudolf Nureyev's Drosselmeyer captivates the children in Act I of The Royal Ballet 1968 production of The Nutcracker, which he also choreographed. Merle Park played Clara that year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Right: Vadim Strukov and Ryan Billia revel in the moment in Boston Ballet's Nutcracker. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Opposite: Jerome Robbins played Herr Drosselmeyer in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Ballet's 1983 Nutcracker, when Peter Martins gave his retirement performance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Right: Former Martha Graham principal dancer Peggy Lyman, now co-artistic director of Dance Connecticut, makes an imperious im·pe·ri·ous adj. 1. Arrogantly domineering or overbearing. See Synonyms at dictatorial. 2. Urgent; pressing. 3. Obsolete Regal; imperial. Madame Noisette noi·sette n. A small round piece of meat, especially loin or fillet of lamb, veal, or pork. adj. Made or flavored with hazelnuts. in her company's Nutcracker, which, embraces slapstick slapstick Comedy characterized by broad humour, absurd situations, and vigorous, often violent action. It took its name from a paddlelike device, probably introduced by 16th-century commedia dell'arte troupes, that produced a resounding whack when one comic actor used it to comedy, martial arts, and hip-hop dance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Top left: Sir Anthony Dowell, who retired this year as The Royal Ballet artistic director, returns to play Drosselmeyer in the Royal's Nutcracker, which airs this month on PBS's "Great Performances." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Above: In The Hard Nut, Mark Morris's affectionate '60s-era sendup of The Nutcracker, Rob Besserer's Drosselmeyer sports a black eye patch, and the children receive G.I. Joes and Barbie dolls for Christmas. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Left: Gus Solomons jr as Drosselmeyer (with Eleanor McCoy) in Donald Byrd's jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. Harlem Nutcracker (1996), which uses Duke Ellington music rather than Tchaikovsky's score. |
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