A sparkling new look enlivens Milwaukee Ballet's production of 'The Nutcracker'

On stage and in the seats, "The Nutcracker" is one of the biggest parties of the holiday season. The Milwaukee Ballet showed up this year in a sparkling new outfit that is sure to have guests buzzing.

The ballet's annual holiday confection, now titled "The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer's Imaginarium," has new costumes designed by Gregory A. Poplyk, new scenery designed by frequent Milwaukee visitor Todd Edward Ivins, more roles for children and some changes to artistic director Michael Pink's choreography.

Friday's opening-night audience, dotted with parents and relatives holding bouquets of flowers for kids in the show, embraced the new look and approach like a beloved old friend.

About that subtitle: Pink wanted to tie the second act's succession of showcase dances more closely to the storyline of the first act. So the toymaker Drosselmeyer (Garrett Glassman, one of the spryest Drosselmeyers I've seen) sprinkles magic dust occasionally to make astonishing things happen (whether for real or in Clara's sleepy imagination is your call).

As for the young siblings who experience these wonders, I couldn't ask for more from Alana Griffith as curious, bright-eyed Clara and Barry Molina as the scampish Fritz. Marize Fumero, as their older sister Marie, and Randy Crespo as Karl slow-play their budding romance in early scenes, making their culminating pas de deux feel sweetly earned.

Poplyk's costumes brighten the look throughout. Even the villainous rats and mice have an attractive dignity. This production also uses a few mice puppets very well.

A few elements of Ivins' scenic designs here remind me of "Magical Mystery Tour" and Maurice Sendak, both precursors that would fit with Pink's idea of this story as a journey.

In a welcome change, Pink skips the old-fashioned ethnic labeling of second-act character dances, referring to those performers as "trumpet couple," "oasis couple" and "lion pup." The new looks (a cool white and blue) of the lion pup (Flynn Stelfox), lion dancers and fiery phoenix are spectacular.

Conducted by Pasquale Laurino, the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra performed Tchaikovsky's memorable score, with Hikari Nakamura playing the unforgettable celeste passages in the Sugar Plum Fairy's dance.

"Nutcracker" regulars have their favorites. I'm a sucker for the athletically comic Jack dancers (Parker Brasser-Vos, Remi Wagner, Ben Zusi), especially when Molina's Fritz gets down on the floor with them.

The kids in Friday's audience were paying attention: When one of the Jacks tossed in a moment of floss dancing, squeals of excited recognition rippled through the crowd.

If you go

Milwaukee Ballet performs "The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer's Imaginarium" through Dec. 26 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, visit milwaukeeballet.org or call (414) 902-2103.