I've been meaning to go watch The Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet for years but have not been in town or had the time to go during the holiday season, so I'm glad I finally made it this year. I haven't seen this ballet since I was a kid, but I love the music (who doesn't?? it's Tchaikovsky!), and it's such a classic, that adult me had to go at some point.
And...now that I have, I can say that it was fun and festive, and I can see how it's a great production for kids, but adult me prefers Swan Lake. The first act of The Nutcracker actually had relatively little ballet, and it seemed like more of a play and acting. There are also a lot more children in the ballet than I remember (not good or bad, just an observation, but perhaps that's also why there's not as much dancing). The second act has most of the "popular" songs, and the Sugar Plum Fairy was a lovely dancer. As a side note, the Playbill notes definitely made me appreciate some of the dances more.
Overall, it was enjoyable and lighthearted, but it wasn't as amazing as I had remembered. That said, for those who have never seen it, I'd still recommend going one of these years, unless you're Scrooge and hate the holidays.
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