CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Pittsburgh Ballet's costumier keeps 'The Nutcracker' on pointe

TribLIVE: With a large cast in colorful costumes and carried by tuneful and brilliant music, “The Nutcracker” ballet is a perfect holiday entertainment — set at a family celebration on Christmas Eve and centered on the dreams of a girl on the cusp of becoming a woman.

2 comments:

Nic M said...

The Nutcracker is a holiday classic, and I can’t say I’m surprised by the amount of work that goes in to a production like this. The thing that seems really exceptional about this production is the concept. The idea of connecting the family to the Kauffmann family immediately contextualizes the piece in Pittsburgh in a really cool way. This is a great way to reframe Pittsburgh’s history and describe our heritage through a classic story. I am all for the concept, and appreciate the care and effort that goes into maintaining this great idea.

K G said...

I don't know what it costs to put on this particular Nutcracker, but I have helped out a bit with it, and I have to say that it's pretty elaborate. As Nic said, I'm not necessarily surprised by the amount of work that goes into it, but it is very interesting to see it all in action. Speaking to the costumes specifically, many are beautiful, colorful pieces. There are some that are kind of ridiculous too. If you see it, look out for the "Pittsburgh" penguin. I mean, watch for it, but also look out in a literal sense, because that penguin can't see very well. Nonetheless, this is definitely a piece worth seeing; there's a reason they do it every year just about everywhere.