The Nutcracker

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker has for decades been an essential part of the world’s and the OPERA’s run-up to Christmas. In memory of the previous production that had been in the repertoire for more than half a century, for the Christmas of 2015, a newly buffed-up show was staged that follows classical ballet traditions while still conforming to the requirements of 21st century dance and set design. Partnering with Tamás Solymosi to choreograph a new fairy-tale ballet for the classical-music piece was a true Nutcracker specialist: the internationally renowned Wayne Eagling. It was the first time in the life of the Hungarian National Ballet that an artist of such worldwide stature had developed a choreography tailored specifically for it, with its unique characteristics in mind, in order to treat audiences to the ballet’s Christmas magic in a version that is even more full of spectacle and dance than the previous one.

“This new choreography by Wayne Eagling and Tamás Solymosi is not only modern and as brilliant as one would expect, it is also a sort of homage to the legend, as it might be called, to the creative work of Vasili Vainonen and Gusztáv Oláh. The latter considered the sets for The Nutcracker to be the greatest “show” of his life, which is continuously reflected in Beáta Vavrinecz’s own sets in the current production. Nóra Rományi’s costumes are classic, beautiful and timeless.” (Eszter Veronika Kiss, Mno.hu)

AUTHORS

Choreographer: Wayne Eagling, Tamás Solymosi
Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Set designer after Oláh Gusztáv: Beáta Vavrinecz
Costume designer: Nóra Rományi
Staging ballet master: Wayne Eagling
Company répétiteurs: Mária Aradi, Cristina Balaban, István Kohári, Albert Mirzoyan, Ildikó Pongor, Irina Prokofieva, Tamás Solymosi, György Szirb, Aliya Tanykpayeva
Répétiteur of the Hungarian National Ballet Institute: Olga Chernakova, Dmitrij Taraszovics Kirejko, Dénes Kovács, Dace Radina, Nataliia Yakushkina
Head of the Children's Chorus: Nikolett Hajzer

CAST

Conductor: Máté Hámori, Paul Marsovszky, Kálmán Szennai, Thomas Herzog, Sámuel Csaba Tóth
Princess Marie: Miyu Takamori, Tatyjana Melnyik, Maria Yakovleva, Lili Felméry, Soobin Lee, Ellina Pohodnih, Maria Beck, Yuki Wakabayashi, Ganna Muromtseva
Prince: Viachaslau Hnedchyk, Motomi Kiyota, Louis Scrivener, András Rónai, Gergely Leblanc, Gergő Ármin Balázsi, Taran Dumitru, Dmitry Timofeev, Boris Zhurilov
Drosselmeier: Vlagyiszlav Melnyik, Mikalai Radziush, Iurii Kekalo, Gaetano Cottonaro, Maxim Kovtun, Timofiy Bykovets
Mouse King/Mouse King doll: Léo Lecarpentier, Takaaki Okajima, Kóbor Demeter, Luca Massara, Vlagyiszlav Melnyik, Carlos Taravillo Mahillo, Mikalai Radziush, Iurii Kekalo
Princess doll/Louise: Yuliya Radziush, Théa Solomon, Yuki Wakabayashi, Nadezhda Sorokina, Stefanida Ovcharenko, Jingxuan Li