The Joffrey Ballet’s spectacular new production of The Nutcracker, which Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon re-imagined taking place on the fairgrounds of the Columbian Exposition in the winter of 1892 (see our other post here), is the subject of a new documentary titled “Making a New American Nutcracker.” Produced by Daniel Andries and narrated by actress Neve Campbell, the documentary will premiere on Thursday, November 16, at 8:00 pm on Chicago’s WTTW11 and on wttw.com. Other PBS stations may pick up the show for broadcast in December 2017 (check your local listings).
“‘Making a New American Nutcracker‘ takes audiences behind the scenes with the dancers and creative visionaries as they bring this strikingly original production to life and transform this European import into a magical and very American story. They share anecdotes about the process – including how Buffalo Bill came to be a part of the ballet; why the dancer who plays the Nutcracker has to play his part mostly blind; choreographer Wheeldon’s observation that one part of Tchaikovsky’s score is reminiscent of an iconic TV theme song; and the salty advice Wheeldon received from Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, a former dancer himself who is interviewed in the film – and relate their first experiences either seeing or performing in The Nutcracker.”