GREAT PERFORMANCES: DANCE IN AMERICA: THE HARD NUT (TV)
Summary
One in this series on the performing arts. This program features The Mark Morris Dance Group in a unique twentieth-century version of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite." Choreographer Mark Morris introduces the ballet and discusses some of his innovative alterations to the classic ballet which include the following: the story is now set in the1960s and 1970s; the costumes and sets reflect the style of comic artist Charles Burns; the toys are modernized; the mouse king shows shades of Elvis and the soldiers are dressed like G.I. Joe; and there is frequent gender reversal of roles with male dancers portraying female characters and traditionally female chorus roles such as the flowers and snowflakes and a woman portraying Fritz. "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," upon which this ballet is based, depicts the story of a young girl, Marie, who receives a nutcracker for Christmas from a man named Drosselmeier. Her mischievous brother breaks the new toy. Later that night, while Marie is checking on her nutcracker, everything in the room suddenly becomes enormous. A fight breaks out between the Nutcracker and the Rat King. With the Marie's help, the Nutcracker wins the fight and turns into a young man. Meanwhile, a snow storm is in progress outside. Then, Drosselmeier tells Marie the story of "The Hard Nut." In the story, the Rat Queen places a curse on the baby of a King and Queen, which makes the child hideously ugly. The only way the spell can be broken is if a magic nut is found and cracked open by a young man. Drosselmeier is commanded by the King and Queen to search for the nut. He searches all over the world, but finds nothing. He returns home empty-handed only to discover that the nut was there all along. Drosselmeier's nephew manages to break the nut open and restore the princess's beauty. Unfortunately, at the same time, he steps on the Rat Queen and is cursed. He becomes ugly and unwanted by the princess. Marie enters into the story and declares her love for the young man. In celebration, her mother leads the plant world in the waltz of the flowers.
Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: December 16, 1992 Wednesday 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:34486
- GENRE: Dance
- SUBJECT HEADING: Ballet; Modern dance; Fairy tales
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1972-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jac Venza … Executive Producer
- Margaret Selby … Coordinating Producer
- Judy Kinberg … Producer
- Robin Scott … Producer
- Joan Hershey … Associate Producer
- Matthew Diamond … Director
- Mark Morris … Choreographer
- Theatre Royal De La Monnaie … Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
- Sylvain Cambreling … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Direction
- Mark Morris Dance Group, The … Dance Company
- E.F. Hoffmann … Writer, Based on "Nutcracker and Mouse King" by
- Charles Burns … Production based on the work of
- Piotr Ilitch Tchaikovsky … Music by
- Clarice Marshall … Cast, Marie, Dancer
- Marianne Moore … Cast, Fritz and a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Tina Fehlandt … Cast, Louise and Princess Pirlipat, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Barry Alterman … Cast, Dr. Stahlbaum and the King, Dancer
- Peter Wing Healey … Cast, Mrs. Stahlbaum and the Queen, Dancer
- Kraig Patterson … Cast, the Housekeeper and the Nurse, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Rob Besserer … Cast, Drosselmeier, Dancer
- Jean-Guillaume Weis … Cast, the Nutcracker and Young Drosselmeier, Dancer
- Ruth Davidson … Cast, the Barbie Doll, Dancer
- Gene Reddick … Cast, the Robot and a G.I. Joe Soldier, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- June Omura … Cast, the Rat King and a Chinese Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Katharina Bader … Cast, a Rat Soldier and a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Alyce Bochette … Cast, a Rat Soldier and a French Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Olivia Maridjan-Koop … Cast, a Rat Soldier and a Chinese Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Deniz Oktay … Cast, a Rat Soldier, Dancer
- Amy Schwartz … Cast, a Rat Soldier, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Jordana Toback … Cast, a Rat Soldier, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Derek Clifford … Cast, a G.I. Joe Soldier, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Dan Joyce … Cast, a G.I. Joe Soldier and a Suitor, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Nathaniel Lee … Cast, a G.I. Joe Soldier and the Dentist, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Mark Nimkoff … Cast, a G.I. Joe Soldier and a Suitor, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Rachel Murray … Cast, the Rat Queen, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Francky Arras … Cast, a Changer, Dancer
- Sam Louwyck … Cast, a Changer, Dancer
- Mireille Radwin-Dana … Cast, a Spanish Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Guillermo Resto … Cast, a Spanish Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Keith Sabado … Cast, a Chinese Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Derrick Brown … Cast, a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Ruth Davidson … Cast, a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Penny Hutchinson … Cast, a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Holly Williams … Cast, a Russian, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Joe Bowie … Cast, a French Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- William Wagner … Cast, a French Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Megan Williams … Cast, a French Dancer, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer
- Mark Morris … Cast, a Party Guest, Snow and/or a Flower, Dancer