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"I was fortunate enough to spend part of my recent vacation in Costa Mesa, and while there, was able to see three performances of the Nutcracker (Friday evening 12/8, Saturday 12/9 matinee and Saturday 12/9 evening) at the Segerstrom Center.  It was wonderful to see the Ratmansky Nutcracker once again; it’s so different from the Balanchine version, but just as enjoyable.  New York City misses the ABT production very much!\n \n\n\n\tHowever, I don’t recall the jokey, comedic production I saw last weekend.  When performed at BAM in the past, I remember a rather palpable, mysterious dark undertone, a kind of thread of menace that would shoot through the drama every time Drosselmeyer appeared.  It created a rather sad, bittersweet ending for Clara, clutching her nutcracker and weeping.  That sense of darkness seems nearly to have vanished, and it has a lot to do with the way Drosselmeyer is played now; as a rather friendly fellow who buoyantly zips around the stage making magic happen.  The change was most pronounced when played by Craig Salstein on Friday night.  Yes, Craig is back, at least for this run, and it was great to see him, but his Drosselmeyer was the most upbeat, energetic and utterly youthful Drosselmeyer I’ve ever encountered.  Not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not the Balanchine version.  The best Drosselmeyer I saw over the weekend was Alexei Agoudine on Saturday afternoon.  He is a superb actor, and created a moody character who had a real purpose behind his magic.  I enjoyed Roman Zhurbin on Saturday night as well, but the menace he once displayed in the past is mostly vanished now in this production.\n \n\n\n\tThe leads on Friday night were Lane and Cornejo.  All seemed well as they began the pas de deux, when suddenly it was apparent that something was wrong with Lane.  I thought perhaps she was injured, or felt unwell, but it was clear something was amiss and her dancing was strained.  She was lucky to have Cornejo there to support her.  I saw him ask her if she was okay; she gave him a brisk nod, and then somehow, not only did they manage keep going, but they completed the pas de deux in its entirety, with no glaring errors, and no elements eliminated or changed.  And that included the torch lift, which they pulled off wonderfully.  Of the three couples I saw over the weekend, they were the only ones who managed to accomplish this.  They are both seasoned, skillful professionals, and their visible exhaustion at the ballet’s end was a real testament to their strength and technical abilities.  I believe their performance on Sunday was much better; Cornejo’s Instagram post that day shows them far more relaxed and at ease than on Friday.\n \n\n\n\tThe leads on Saturday afternoon were Murphy and Gomes, and there is nothing I can say about them that hasn’t been said before – they are fantastic dancers, bursting with the relaxed confidence and skill that age and experience bring.  They can do no wrong!  What they did do, however, was alter the torch lift choreography a bit.  Rather than Murphy approaching Gomes in a running leap for the lift, she simply stood before him, and he lifted her from her standing position.  I believe this is something they’d done before in Brooklyn, and obviously was a choice made by Gomes.  Other than that, their pas de deux was perfection.\n \n\n\n\tOn Saturday evening, Abrera performed with Hammoudi.  I had high hopes for Hammoudi, thinking that maybe he would redeem himself after that lackluster Swan Lake in the spring.  However, his dancing still was not very good.  He landed his jumps poorly, at one point skidding a bit across the floor.  And he eliminated the double tours the Prince performs just prior to the torch lift, merely walking to his mark for the set up.  The lift began very well, but once he had Abrera in the air he couldn’t hold her there.  He lost his grip on her and she slid down his arm, barely making it to the next move.  It was a disappointing moment.  However, Abrera was far and away the absolute best of the three adult Claras.  The beautiful lyricism of her arms and back, combined with her acting and interpretive skills, made her performance the golden moment of the evening.  I believe she is now the finest female principal in the company and I dearly hope she will be dancing with us for another few years.\n \n\n\n\tThere were numerous featured performances that were well done, and others that were less so.  On Friday night, the four dancing dolls (Columbine, Harlequin, Recruit and Canteen Keeper) were not very good.  In particular, Gabe Stone Shayer was a real disappointment.  As Harlequin, he had no control over his limp, flailing arms and legs, and seemed to forget he was playing a doll.  Much, much better were the four on Saturday night.  Cassandra Trenary and Arron Scott as Columbine and Harlequin were outstanding, Trenary in particular completely giving herself over to the mechanical movements of a clockwork doll.  Both she and Scott seemed ready for Harlequinade in the spring.  As Recruit and Canteen Keeper, Luis Ribagorda and Courtney Lavine were spectacular.  They were utterly musical, moving with amazing speed and clarity, and were the only dancers in these roles who finished with the music.  Lavine is dancing again after a year off due to injury, and seems better than ever – on Saturday night she also appeared as one of the menacing snow flakes, and then in the Arabian dance in Act II as well.  Would love to see more of her in featured roles the spring!  And on Friday night and Saturday night, Blaine Hoven was \"on fire\" in the Spanish dance (no pun intended with those wildfires raging).  He really did blaze across stage with grace, energy and intensity, and I hope his lead performances as the Nutcracker Prince with Murphy will be just as good.  He is more than ready for some leading roles in the big ballets in the spring!  \n \n\n\n\tTo the parents of Annabelle and Julianna, the two Claras I saw in the three performances – congratulations!  Your daughters were both outstanding, natural performers, moving the drama along with some wonderful acting and mime, and appearing at ease on stage throughout.  Whether they continue to dance or move on to other endeavors, I hope the future holds good things for both of them. \n "
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