Boston Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ proves that it’s as close to perfection as you can get

I’ve seen my share of Nutcrackers in my life, and as a kid, I performed in it annually. Most of the productions have kind of blurred in my mind with highlights remembered here or there (like the Washington Ballet’s delightful falling cherry blossoms in lieu of snow). But the version brought to life by the Boston Ballet that I took in Nov. 29 sparkled from start to finish.

Choreographed by the company’s Artistic Director, Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet’s splendid production charmed with every scene, including a wonderfully detailed production that takes place in 1820’s Germany. On the opening night at downtown Boston’s Citizens Opera House, there was so much to love about this holiday staple. Every dancer brought their A game, and even amongst this smorgasbord of excellence, there were several standout performances.

The ballet centers around young Clara Silberhaus’ nutcracker gift from her mysterious uncle, Her Drosselmeier, given during her family Christmas party. Drosselmeier is a magical figure who sets events in motion as she dreams of battles and being escorted by a prince—evolved from the nutcracker—to an exotic kingdom full of sweets and foreign dances. Daniel Rubin brought the iconic figure of Drosselmeier to life in a way I can’t remember in other productions, which made his performance my favorite in the evening.

Part of this is due to Nissinen’s decision to integrate his dancing throughout the production. This isn’t always the case in many Nutcrackers, with Drosselmeier often being relegated to a character dancer rather than a full-blown technical performance equal to much of the other complex dances in the ballet. It’s a decision that truly elevates this production, especially with a performer like Daniel Rubin, who brought an otherworldly elegance and expressiveness that I found mesmerizing. Drosselmeier can sometimes be perceived as dark rather than mysterious, but in Rubin’s hands, the beloved uncle retained an air of benevolence and timelessness. Complimenting this charming interpretation was Rubin’s grand eloquence which kept me transfixed throughout the production.

The polar opposite was the battling mice during Clara’s nightmare after the party. They were outrageously hilarious. I’ve never seen a Nutcracker that features grown mice that really do look like enlarged rodents, but then who individually display comedic personalities. It’s a testament to Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker that had me saying that Drosselmeier was my favorite, but for my 16-year-old daughter, it was the mice, which also got lots of laughs from the audience.

The best pas de deux of the night belonged to the Snow Queen and King, danced with aplomb by my favorite partners at the company, Ji Young Chae and Jeffrey Cirio. These two were so in synch as the snow fell on the stage, drawing out the most beautiful music of the evening. It’s always a highlight seeing these two perform together, even more so, dancing to my favorite musical selection of the ballet, and serving as the perfect culmination of the first act.

There wouldn’t be a compelling Nutcracker without an engaging Clara, and Sophia Jones proved up to the challenge. Gifted with beautiful feet in her shiny Freeds, she and her prince (a lovely Patrick Yocum) traveled to the Kingdom of the Sweets in Act II. There they were entertained by Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, French, and Russian “sweets,” with a particularly splendid Chisako Oga as the Dewdrop, who took my breath away in moments.

Other notable performances included Kyra Muttilainen in Spanish Chocolate, Lasha Khozashvili’s exceptional partner skills in Arabian Coffee (seriously, there was one lift where he effortlessly hoisted Chyrstyn Fentray over his head that made the audience gasp), and Sun Woo Lee’s moves in the Russian Troika. And of course, no Nutcracker would be complete without a refined Sugar Plum Fairy, in this case gracefully danced by the stellar Seo Hye Han.

Nissinen’s Nutcracker also features a dancing bear in the first act, a novel idea that always charms the audience, and Henry Griffin brings talent and fun to the role on opening night.

Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker runs through Dec. 29 and if you see one production in New England, this should be it. The ballet is being performed at the Citizens Opera House in downtown Boston, a gorgeous art deco theater that seems as if it was designed specifically for this production, with its accents of garland and gold peppered throughout the architecture. Most performances are sold out, and more information can be found here.