Lyrical, Witty and Nutty as a Fruitcake: The Hard Nut Swings Into Town
The
Hard Nut
Mark Morris Dance Group
[presented by Cal Performances]
Zellerbach Hall
Berkeley, California
[December 10-28, 2003]
December 12, 2003
by
Paul Parish
copyright © 2003 by Paul Parish
Berkeley
likes to think that Mark Morris belongs here. THe director of Cal Performances,
Robert Cole, not only books Morris 's company several times a year, and
has set up a semi-official residency for the company at Zellerbach Auditorium,
but when Christmas rolls around, Cole actually conducts the orchestra
for Morris's brilliant burlesque of the Nutcracker, the really
big show called The Hard Nut, which opened last Friday night
once again to a delighted audience, many of whom see it every year instead
of the "regular" Nutcracker.
I've myself
seen it every year since it first opened here in 1996—it's played
with a few breaks, almost every year since—and I find it to be,
like a great comic opera, mysteriously intricate and deep, and that the
more I see it, the more satisfying it becomes. This year I was shocked
to realize how romantic The Hard Nut is—despite all its overt ironies,
and the manifold gay references, the pas de deux for Marie (Lauren Grant)
and the Nutcracker (David Leventhal) made me cry, it was so beautiful,
so touching, so delicate and poignant and fresh and musical, and so beautifully
danced. It has I think become more classical, more mythic, more universal
over the years, as this couple has taken over the roles—rather as
Apollo evolved with Farrell and Martins in the roles, except that in the
case of the Hard Nut, Leventhal and Grant are musical, generous,
classical in their way of moving, and WARM. This is how our parents should
have fallen in love.
read review
What's On This Week
Dec.
7-28
San Francisco Ballet
The Nutcracker
War Memorial Opera House
Dec. 7-14
The Berkeley Ballet
The Nutcracker
Choreography by Sally Streets and Robert Nichols
Julia Morgan Theatre
2640 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 845-8542-
Sun 12/7/2003, 2:00 p.m.; Fri
12/12/2003, 7:00 p.m; Sat
12/13/2003 2:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.; Sun
12/14/2003, 2:00 p.m.
Dec.
10-28
Smuin Ballet
The Christmas Ballet
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater
700 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 978-2787
Dec.
11-12
When Day Became Night
A story of ordinary citizens in times of war
Solo
dance-theater created and performed by
Leigh Evans; 8:00 p.m.
Noh Space
2840 Mariposa St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 621-7978
Dec.
12-13
Mark Morris Dance Group
The Hard Nut
Zellerbach Hall
Bancroft Way and Telegraph Ave.
UC Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 642-9988
Friday, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Dec.
13
Retouched
A collaborative effort of innovative dance works by Chris Jacobsen
and Sonya Tayeh. 7:30 p.m.
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94039
(650) 903-6000
Dec.
13
El Color Del Flamenco
Carola Zertuche, artistic director/choreographer.
Cowell Theater
Herbst Pavilion
Ft. Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 441-3687
Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Dec.
14
Savage Jazz Dance Company
Marin Showcase Theater
Avenue of the Flags
San Rafael, CA
(415) 472-3500
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