NUTCRACKER, THE {MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, GELSEY KIRKLAND AND THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE} (TV)
Summary
In this holiday special, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland star in a new production of the classic Tchaikovsky ballet "The Nutcracker," choreographed by Baryshnikov for the American Ballet Theatre. In this narrated ballet set on Christmas Eve, a toy maker, Drosselmeier, creates magical toys for Christmas surprises. At the Stahlbaum's Christmas party, he puts on a puppet show for the children which fortells a dream that his Godchild Clara will soon experience -- a harlequin doll, a ballerina doll, and a moor doll come to life and dance for the children. Drosselmeier then gives Clara a Nutcracker doll as a present. Later Clara falls asleep next to her new toy and has a nightmare in which the adults of her world become giant rats. Coming to her defense, the Nutcracker magically grows to the size of the rats and kills the Rat King. Drosselmeier then appears in Clara's dream and transforms the Nutcracker into a prince. Clara dances with her prince and travels to the land of Snowflakes. Next Clara and her prince journey onward to their castle where a variety of performers entertain them, including a couple from Spain, a couple from Asia, four court buffoons, and two Russian men. As the prince dances with Clara, her Uncle Drosselmeier appears in order to take her from the land of dreams and return her to the real world. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: December 16, 1977 Friday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:18:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:09233
- GENRE: Dance; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Ballet
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1977
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Herman Krawitz … Executive Producer
- Yanna Kroyt Brandt … Producer, Writer
- Lois Bianchi … Associate Producer
- Tony Charmoli … Director
- Lucia Chase … Direction (Misc. Credits), Director of The American Ballet Theatre
- Oliver Smith … Direction (Misc. Credits), Director of The American Ballet Theatre
- Peter Ilytch Tchaikovsky … Composer
- Kenneth Schermerhorn … Conductor
- Roger Durston … Choral Director
- Mikhail Baryshnikov … Choreographer
- Vasily Vainonene … Choreographer, "Snowflake Waltz"
- E.J. Taylor … Puppets by
- National Philharmonic, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Steven Rosenthal … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Boys of Desborough School … Chorus
- Norman Rose … Narrator
- Mikhail Baryshnikov … Cast, the Nutcracker and the Prince, Dancer
- Gelsey Kirkland … Cast, Clara, Dancer
- Alexander Minz … Cast, Drosselmeyer, Dancer
- Gayle Young … Cast, Mr. Stahlbaum, Dancer
- Sallie Wilson … Cast, Mrs. Stahlbaum, Dancer
- Warren Conover … Cast, Fritz, Claa's Brother, Dancer
- Gregory Osborne … Cast, The Harlequin/Court Buffoon, Dancer
- Rebecca Wright … Cast, The Doll, Dancer
- de La Pena, George … Cast, the Moor/a Russian Dancer, Dancer
- Marcos Paredes … Cast, King of Mice, Dancer
- Cynthia Harvey … Cast, a Snowflake Soloist, Dancer
- Jolinda Menendez … Cast, a Snowflake Soloist and a Spanish Dancer, Dancer
- Clark Tippet … Cast, a Spanish Dancer, Dancer
- Rodney Gustafson … Cast, a Court Buffoon, Dancer
- Charles Maple … Cast, a Court Buffoon, Dancer
- Eric Nesbitt … Cast, a Court Buffoon, Dancer
- Hilda Morales … Cast, a Chinese Dancer, Dancer
- Kirk Peterson … Cast, a Chinese Dancer, Dancer
- Aurea Hammerli … Cast, a Shepherd Dancer, Dancer
- Warren Conover … Cast, a Shepherd Dancer, Dancer
- Roman Jasinski … Cast, a Russian Dancer, Dancer
- Nanette Glushak … Cast, a Waltz Soloist, Dancer
- Marie Johansson … Cast, a Waltz Soloist, Dancer
- Victor Barbee … Cast, a Waltz Soloist, Dancer
- Richard Scharer … Cast, a Waltz Soloist, Dancer
- American Ballet Theatre, The … Dance Company