The Nutcracker Comes to America
UPDATE: 9/14/15: Publishers Weekly starred review.
Every December, The Nutcracker comes to life in theaters all across the United States. But how did this 19th-century Russian ballet become such a big part of the holidays in 21st-century America? Meet Willam, Harold, and Lew Christensen, three small-town Utah boys who caught the ballet bug in the early 1900s. They performed on vaudeville and took part in the New York City dance scene. Russian immigrants shared the story of The Nutcracker with them, and during World War II, they staged their own Christmastime production in San Francisco. It was America's first full-length version and the beginning of a delightful holiday tradition.
My review: Ah, well, The Nutcracker and I go way back. I have many wonderful memories of attending The Atlanta Ballet's productions of The Nutcracker as a little girl with my mother, with members of The Atlanta Symphony in the pit orchestra. I am quite fond of those memories. Fast forward to college, when as a music major, I played in the pit orchestra for two years, once as third flute/piccolo, and again as first flute. The music is a workout, and, a wonder. I love Tchaikovsky, and it is so nice to have a seasonal reason to revisit such a splendid piece of holiday music.
As a bookseller, it is always a challenge to find good books that replicate musical experiences. I guess it is inherent in the medium. Music is an aural event, and finding a book or art that conveys the unique qualities of sound are always challenging, but I find it worth pursuing nonetheless. Children have many musical experiences and there must be attempts to celebrate sounds in print. Thankfully, many more books are being published about musicians, composers, and the mysteries of music and how sound inspires us, helps us celebrate, and is is integral part of our every day lives.
Every year, The Nutcracker is staged in communities across America, and with this book, author Chris Barton tells the history behind how it came to be. More than just that, the story unfolds and explores how three brothers made their way through life pursusing their passion of dance, and creatively found ways of making money and becoming entertainers. In some ways, this reminds me of Melissa Sweet's Balloons Over Broadway another tale of a creative artist, Tony Sarg, a puppeteer who made something no one had quite ever made before, upside-down helium balloon puppets for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it became a part of our national holiday tradition.
Music, dance, a holiday tradition, celebrated all across the country by adults and children of all ages. The Nutcracker brings us together for the holidays. This book is long overdue, and thanks to author Chris Barton and illustrator Cathy Gendron, we now know how and why The Nutcracker has become an enduring holiday legacy.
"From Russia with battling mice and waltzing flowers. In the early 20th century, three brothers from Utah caught dancing fever and went on to join the vaudeville circuit, performing all across America. One of the brothers went on to Portland, Oregon, to start a ballet school and, following the advice of a Russian émigré conductor, used music from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker to choreograph dances for his students. Two of the three siblings found themselves in San Francisco in 1944 in search of a big-ticket number for the San Francisco Ballet. Everyone helped on the production, but it was not until 1949, with all three brothers working together, that The Nutcracker as an annual Christmas tradition began. Barton writes with an easygoing, folksy style with, perhaps, an overreliance on the phrase "the whole shebang." Though Barton ably does here what he did for the inventor subjects of Sibert honoree The Day-Glo Brothers, illustrated by Tony Persiani (2009), balletomanes will regret that he doesn't go into greater detail about the actual San Francisco Ballet production. Gendron's oil paintings present scenes from the lives of the brothers and from the staging of the ballet. Nutcracker aficionados can enjoy a background overture to a Christmas classic." — Kirkus Reviews
" ... a captivating children's book arrives to set the record straight for the younger generation. So many ... young dancers in training are unaware of the colorful history behind this tradition. Barton and Gendron's new book does its bit to fill that gap, with charm and wisdom." -- Carla Escoda, The Huffington Post, 7/17/2015
"Balancing evocative turns of phrase with a crisp, forthright narrative, Barton delivers an involving account of how watching The Nutcracker ballet, which originated in Russia, became an American holiday tradition. The movement was fueled by the Christensen brothers from Utah, who turned their passion for dance into careers in vaudeville and prestigious dance companies, before two of them choreographed and staged the first full-length American production of The Nutcracker in 1944. In her first picture book, Gendron uses pencil-and-oil art—strikingly textured with sweeping scratch-marks—to provide views from studio, audience, and stage wings, expertly capturing both the period setting and the graceful movements of the dancers. A detailed timeline and archival photos round out a fascinating bit of artistic investigation, one with year-round appeal. Ages 7–11." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"As surely as this ballet is a part of the Christmas season, you are going to want The Nutcracker Comes To America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created A Holiday Tradition written by Chris Barton with illustrations by Cathy Gendron to become a favorite read aloud with your students, children, family and friends. The story of these three brothers continuing to follow their passion despite life's trials is truly inspirational. You can't help but think what if William had not been where he was, when he was. This is nonfiction at its finest for all ages. At the close of the book the Author's Note, Illustrator's Note, Timeline, The Whole Shebang, In A Nutshell: A Summary Of The Nutcracker and Suggestions For Further Reading are must reads." -- Margie Myers-Culver, Librarian's Quest, August 13, 2015
The Nutcracker Comes to America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition
Chris Barton and Cathy Gendron
Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group
9781467721516
Cloth
$19.99
Pub Date: 9/1/2015
