FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson) 

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Daily Sitka Sentinel

’Tis the Season - Nutcracker is on the Way

By Sentinel Staff

In this year’s Sitka Friends of Dance production of “The Nutcracker,” the audience may be surprised to find the dancers are beatniks reading poetry and sipping coffee in a cafe.

Or dancing to a Duke Ellington arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s most famous piece.

“The music is different,” said Sienna Reid, who will be in her fourth Nutcracker this year.

“There’s definitely a big variety,” said Ali Venneberg, who’s appearing in her third Nutcracker. 

But many things will stay the same as before, with plenty of classical music from Tchaikovsky, the party that opens the show, group numbers and solo performances from the most advanced students at the Sitka Studio of Dance.

 

Marie holds up her nutcracker in the party scene of the 2011 Sitka Friends of Dance production of “The Nutcracker.” This year’s production will open 7 p.m. Friday, December 4, at the Performing Arts Center. (Sentinel File Photo)  

The show opens 7 p.m. Friday, December 4, at the Performing Arts Center. It will be staged by the Red Cast, which will also present the 2 p.m. Saturday, December 5, performance.

Another cast – the Blue Cast – takes over for the 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday performances.

Set at Christmas time, the Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl, Marie, who receives the gift of a toy soldier nutcracker at her family’s holiday party. At night, the nutcracker comes to life, fights a battle with the Rat King and his army and takes Marie on an enchanted journey. The two-act ballet was adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”

Melinda McAdams, director of the Sitka Studio of Dance and Sitka Friends of Dance, is staging her ninth Nutcracker, but it’s been a while since she’s taken on this particular version, “The Land of the Sweets.”

“People generally do ‘country’ or ‘sweets,’” she said. In the ‘country’ version, the different dances, lands and costumes are influenced by the countries of Spain, Arabia, China and Russia. With “Sweets,” those turn into “Chocolate,” “Coffee,” “Tea” and “Candy Canes.”

McAdams has also directed the Alaska version of the classic ballet, with some kids building up interesting resumes, with roles like “tourist,” “ocean” and “fisherman” from those productions.

“I mostly wanted to do something different, something we haven’t done before,” she said, of this year’s Nutcracker.

Ali and Sienna, both high school juniors, characterize the Nutcracker as a highlight in their dance careers, and are pleased to be delving into the “Land of the Sweets” for the first time, with each having a solo. Sienna is the Snow Queen and a fairy and is in the Coffee scene; Ali is a snowflake, in the Coffee scene, and plays the role of Honey in Waltz of the Flowers.

“That’s pretty exciting,” said Ali. “It’s also different being the oldest in the studio. It’s weird being the big kids.”

The two have fond memories of watching and having parts in the Nutcracker over the years. They remember looking up to Ruby Gale, Raeanna Wood and all the other juniors and seniors who dance some of the biggest solos.

“I hope to do the same,” Ali said.

“It’ll be nerve-wracking when you get up there,” Sienna said. But she added that she feels she and the other dancers are prepared. “We’ve been working on it so hard.”

They’re enjoying this version of the Nutcracker but cited some of the unchanging moments in every Nutcracker as their favorites.

“I’ve always loved the end, when Marie lifts up the nutcracker,” Alis said. “It gives me the chills every time – I don’t know why.”

For Sienna, it’s the overall excitement of being backstage. 

“The dancing is all really great, but there’s something about being backstage, being back there with everyone is the best part, by far, hanging out with everyone,” she said. “Everyone has the same excited energy. It’s a great feeling.”

Comparing “Land of Sweets” to other versions, Ali said, “it’s definitely very different from other years, definitely some surprises. But it’s come together very well, and it’s going to be a great show – it’s a great story.”

Some of the roles in Nutcracker are double-cast, including the role of Marie, the young girl who is on stage for most of the show.

Makayla Moore, Marie in the Blue Cast, said she was on pins and needles as she waited for word on what role she was to play, back during the summer when the show was cast – and she was in Juneau, far away from her mailbox.

“Before, I was, like, don’t tell me,” she said. But Makayla said she couldn’t wait, and had her mother open the letter. “Then she told me, ‘It’s Marie.’”

Delaney McAdams, Marie of the Red Cast, probably knew before anyone but was sworn to secrecy. As the daughter of Melinda, the director, she and her brother helped stuff the envelopes announcing the parts. 

“I was very happy, and I was kind of glad it was double-cast because it’s a lot of memorizing to do,” she said. “And after the first two (shows) I can kind of relax.”

The two Maries cited the toughest challenge as the acting part of the show.

“You always have to be in character,” Makayla said. “When we get to the Land of the Sweets, we’ve been there 10 times already, but we have to act surprised.”

Delaney said she’s been enjoying the role, and likes the story overall.

“I like that at the end Marie is back at the house, and you don’t know if it’s a dream or if it really happened,” she said.

Makayla said her favorite part is when the rats come out of the cabinet, near the beginning of the show. “It’s loud and dramatic,” she said.
The director said the show is coming together well, and the dancers are prepared.

“It’s putting the costumes and all the parts together,” McAdams said. “I really do think it’s under control.”

She noted the depth of her current group of advanced dancers – with juniors taking on solo roles – as well as the variety of ages that the audience will see at any time on stage.

“There isn’t a ‘big kid’ dance and a ‘little kid’ dance,” she said in an email. “They are mostly mixed ... I think it’s been fun for kids to dance with kids they don’t have class with.”

The show goes into technical and dress rehearsals next week, building up to the first show next Friday.

“Next week, the house will go up and it’ll put people in just the right frame of mind,” she said.

Projecting ahead to after the final show, Ali and Sienna said they are anticipating a bit of a letdown since, as juniors, this will likely be their last Nutcracker in Sitka – it’s staged here every other year.

“It’s really, really sad that it’s our last Nutcracker,” said Ali. “It’s definitely one of the best parts about being a dancer, or one of my favorite parts. ... It’s definitely going to be emotional.”

“I think we’re going to be a little teary,” agreed Sienna.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. (Kids under age 5 get in free.) The tickets are available at Old Harbor Books and at the door. 

 

 

 

 

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20 YEARS AGO

March 2004

Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.


50 YEARS AGO

March 1974

Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....

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