by Rafa Carvajal
Image Credit: Michael Brosilow
“The show is very much an adventure story. It surrounds a family who is having a hard time during the holidays.” - Tommy Rapley, Director and Choreographer
“We wanted to create a world entirely of our own – something that felt nostalgic, but more contemporary than the ballet – timeless in its way.” - Tommy Rapley, Director and Choreographer
The holidays are here, so The Nutcracker is coming to town. This year the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts presents the famed House Theater of Chicago's The Nutcracker, A Magical New Play in the Carnival Studio Theater of the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House through December 30. This is not your typical Nutcracker performance at all. Time Out Chicago noted, “the ingenious reimagining of traditional characters makes this production significantly more engaging, story-wise. The stakes are higher, the magic more intense!”
This original play was written by House company members Jake Minton and Phillip Klapperich and features original music by Jefferson Award-winning composer Kevin O’Donnell. It has been described as a “riveting reinvention” of the E.T.A. Hoffmann's beloved holiday classic that takes place in an in-the-round set that is perfect for an up-close, lively, and enchanting theater experience. This modern day Nutcracker is a story about a loving family’s recovery from a terrible and surprising loss that centers on young Clara's journey to save Christmas and bring her broken family back together. It is a contemporary, spellbinding holiday theater experience with riveting dialogue, amazing puppetry, and original songs.
The Nutcracker, A Magical New Play is directed and choreographed by Tommy Rapley, a House Theatre of Chicago company member who has directed and/or choreographed 24 works (The Sparrow, The Valentine Trilogy) of original theater in the last 10 years. We asked Tommy to tell us about this unique version of a timeless holiday classic.
Can you describe what the show is about? The show is very much an adventure story. It surrounds a family who is having a hard time during the holidays – their beloved son, Fritz, who they expected home from the military last Christmas, was lost in battle. The central story picks up a year later when Great Uncle Drosselmeyer delivers a present for Clara – a Nutcracker doll that looks exactly like her brother. Fritz, as well as Clara’s other toys, suddenly spring to life to help Clara save Christmas by battling with the Rat King and his evil Christmas-hating minions. In the process, Clara forces her family to deal with their tragic loss head-on, ultimately bringing her family together again to honor old traditions and make new ones.
What influenced you to stray away from ballet, when reinventing the classic Nutcracker? I danced the ballet for an entire decade of my career, and though I could tell you all the plot-points, I’m not sure I could say what it was about exactly. When we were looking at adapting a holiday classic for The House Theater of Chicago, I wanted to imbue the characters we knew and loved from the ballet with a sense of Story with a capital “S.” Our goal was to introduce real people dealing with real issues at the holidays to our audience.
We also wanted to create a world entirely of our own – something that felt nostalgic, but more contemporary than the ballet – timeless in its way. A completely new score with five original songs and dialogue woven with physical storytelling that is not necessarily ballet, but fits neatly in the realm of dance-theatre.
Are there any similarities between the ballet and the new play? I wanted to ensure that we were providing the audience with a new perspective on the story by including similar characters, images and situations that are contained in the ballet – something that grounds them in what they know, then turns it on its head. For example: it snows in our play. There is a big Christmas party. Uncle Drosselmeyer is there with an eye-patch and he makes toys for Clara. Clara seems to shrink in order to do battle with the Rat King. A nutcracker arrives and becomes life-size. And so on. Those things are very much a homage to my experience as a dancer – I do love the ballet.
How was the show first perceived when it debuted a few years ago? When we premiered the show at Steppenwolf in 2007, it was perceived as a very dark, psychological exploration of Clara that was wholly original, but still needed work. We did not produce the show in 2008 or 2009 in order to flush out our original concept and refine the symbols at work in the play (as well as some of the armchair psychology). I’m pleased to say that the premiere in 2010 at The Chopin Theatre (our current home-base in Chicago) came off like gangbusters. We completely re-designed the show to be in the round. The rats got funnier and scarier at the same time. And Clara truly became the hero of her own story by saving both her family and Christmas.
What message do you want audiences to take away from this holiday story? That the best way to honor those that can’t be with us is to continue the traditions we built with them; that we have a choice to let grief divide us or to let it bring us closer together.
Is the show intended for a younger crowd or a more mature audience? Honestly, the show is 100% family theatre. It is absolutely wonderful to see the children so engaged with the toys, playing in the snow at intermission, delighting at the opportunity to eat cookies in the opening number and laughing at the hilariously-dumb British rats. But the darker, deeper elements of the play can fly over their heads and land neatly in the laps of the adults in the audience. I’m proud to have made a play that truly has the power to unite families at the holidays – you can bring your 8-year old daughter, 60-year old grandmother, 30-something cousins and even that antsy 15-year old nephew to the show, and there is something for everyone to latch on to and have a great time.
When directing/choreographing The Nutcracker, A Magical New Play, did you pull any inspiration from any of the 24 works you have done? Of course, in some ways my last ten years of working with The House has been my graduate degree in directing. I have refined a voice as a very physical storyteller, and that certainly makes its way into The Nutcracker. Also, the use of puppets, music and dance are common elements in my work.
What do you feel is the strongest element of the show? (i.e. cast, music, design) The cast is excellent. And at The House we put a real effort on giving each design element of the show equal weight in the storytelling – be it music, dialogue, puppetry, lights, dance, etc. But I think the strongest element of this particular play is the spirit that surrounds it. That sounds a little hippy-dippy, I’m sure, but it’s the truth. This show requires everyone to believe that “Saving Christmas” is life or death. It is a mission that could easily become hokey or cheesy, and taking that mission seriously requires a deep belief in how well that symbol might serve our audience. If we truly believe that saving Christmas will save this family, we have an opportunity to reach deeper into the hearts and imaginations of our audience.
How did you put together the cast for the show? We held auditions in both Miami and Chicago for the show. I was excited for the opportunity to engage some artists from the Miami community in our work, and of course wanted to bring some actors from Chicago who could lead the charge on some of the more unique aspects of our theatre company – talking to the audience directly, mingling with them before the show, the very live sense of play we try to put on stage, etc.
How does it feel to represent the highly acclaimed House Theatre of Chicago? Truly wonderful, I’ve been a part of the House for 10 years now, and this is by far one of my favorite plays we’ve ever produced (excuse my bias). I think it is incredibly on-mission for us as a company, and I’m so pleased to be able to bring it to Miami for the holidays. It’s a lovely little Christmas-present for the whole family.
Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine? What a wonderful host the Arsht Center has been to us. This is our third production to bring to Miami, and our friends at the Arsht continue to blow us away with their support, generosity and belief in our work as a theatre company. Miami is very fortunate to have an organization that is looking not just to bring new and interesting things to the city, but also hoping to create a cultural exchange with those artists that inspire everyone and builds national artistic bridges. Thank you for having us Miami!
