Opening Night of The Nutcracker in Wonderland

Oh, the blessed quiet this morning; today, La Virgen de Guadalupe can sleep for the first time in 12 days, and so can the rest of us. The church bells ring again at the appropriate time of the day, and, with luck, the munitions master and his bombs have moved on. Thank you for this silent momentito!

I went to the Opening Night of The Nutcracker in Wonderland, a mash-up of the holiday classic ballet with Alice in Wonderland at Coco Cabaret. Producer Chris Lopez greeted everyone at the door with a lovely printed program; to me, this speaks volumes about the love and care that goes into a production. It’s an added expense, yes, but one I am super grateful for.

The clever use of video mapping created a number of scenes that left me feeling chilly from the falling snowflakes and spring thaw in the mountains, to a little wobbly with the fantastic Alice-inspired psychedelic mushrooms displayed in the background.

Amazingly, one chair was the entire set, and it held the Queen of Hearts tucked nicely, her meters of fabric far away from the flying feet of the dancers. The fabrics were gorgeous: rich brocades and satins with just enough glitter to catch the light. Kudos go to the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts for hair, makeup, and costume design.

Directed by and starring James Wolburg, who, a season ago, broke down barriers in his all-male cast of Swan Lake, can put another glorious feather in his cap. The Nutcracker in Wonderland is about a boy who HAD to dance. And he did. Wolburg’s costar, Alejandro Barrón, was superb in every scene.

This production kicks down a lot of barriers and does so with a gentle push, fierce dancing, smiling faces executing some tight choreography and love, people. Lots of love. Merry Christmas.