BCB's Nutcracker

Its Origin Story

The Nutcracker ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa (pictured left), Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, and his assistant, Lev Ivanov, and had its premiere in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia. The story was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The music was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Original Nutcracker 

Believe it or not, the first performance was not a success! Subsequent workings of the ballet finally turned it into the holiday favorite we know today.

George Balanchine (pictured left), founder of New York City Ballet (NYCB), was instrumental in driving up the popularity of the ballet in the USA. He premiered his version in 1954, starring Maria Tallchief, of indigenous American descent, as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Since that first performance, the ballet grew in popularity, and now, almost every ballet school and company performs the ballet. 

The Nutcracker is a staple in the lives of a dance school’s students and their families. It is performed every year and traditions are built up around the casting, the choreography and the little touches that make each Nutcracker unique. Any changes or additions made along the way sometimes seem abrupt and surprising, but those soon make their way into the fabric of the ballet as well and eventually become part of everyone’s memories.

Before The Nutcracker

Believe it or not, Brass City Ballet’s first holiday ballet was not The Nutcracker, but an original ballet called, The Night of the Magic Ornaments, affectionately termed by BCB students and staff as NOMO. In addition to using a portion of Tchaikovsky’s  Nutcracker score, it loosely followed  the same storyline. The theme was Christmas, Aunt Penelope (seen below), played by Elizabeth Fisk (photo by Dave LaBianca) was its “Uncle Drosselmeyer” and Étoile (the star on top of the Christmas Tree) replaced Sugar Plum Fairy.

Brass City Ballet’s first production of The Nutcracker was in 1996, at the Mattatuck Museum. Its small stage required a special stage extension, there were no wings, and the only entrance was from stage right! “At the tech rehearsal,” remembers Artistic Director, Elizabeth Fisk Barisser, “I broke down in tears. When asked what was wrong, I replied, “Who is going to help quick change my kids?!” Needless to say, my children, Andrew and Eleanor, at the time ages 9 and 6 respectively, got their quick change help. We never looked back and since then, we have performed The Nutcracker every year.” 

Who’s Who in the Prologue

There is a backstory to each of the characters in BCB’s Prologue, which takes place in the 1940’s. These stories are created in rehearsal in order to give everyone a “hook”, so to speak. Mr. & Mrs. Stahlbaum (Julio Alegria & Deanna Russo) are wealthy, well connected, and from Connecticut, of course. An invite to their Christmas party is a must for anyone on the up & up. The guests include an array of eccentric personalities: the Count & Countess (Phil & Milanna Datlow) who escaped the Russian Revolution in 1917 via Istanbul, Turkey. The wealthy, self-made business tycoon from Texas, more comfortable in jeans and boots (Jeremiah Cady), arrives with his beautiful wife (Dori Pikulski), both keen on making good connections, he for his business, she for a social ladder climb. Let’s not forget the famous artists (ShawnaLee & Drew Kwashnak) whose illustrations and sculptures are exhibited around the world,  and who have graced the cover of Time magazine on more than one occasion. Then, last but not least are Grandmother & Grandfather Stahlbaum (Elizabeth Fisk & Patrick Hearn), whose around the world cruise on the Queen Mary was abruptly and rather rudely interrupted on the high seas of the Pacific, forcing them to return to chilly Connecticut for the holidays.

Personal Touches

Many personal touches of Artistic Director, Elizabeth Fisk Barisser, worked their way into the ballet, starting with the oranges in the Prologue. “My mother used to have them at Christmas when she was a young girl during the 1930’s. Being a child of the Great Depression, she savored the rare and expensive offering of fresh fruit in the winter. As a result, she established the tradition of always placing a fresh orange in our Christmas stockings.”

The Pfeffernusses in Mother Ginger’s dance in Act 2 are the very same German cookies that Ms. Fisk Barisser enjoyed during her childhood Christmas seasons, while Turkish Delight, replacing Arabian Coffee, pays homage to her previous years living and working in Istanbul, Turkey, and her previous marriage to Sabri Barişser. 

Now that Julio Alegria has joined the BCB team, audiences can look forward to spotting his unique contributions making their way into BCB’s very special holiday ballet.