Revisiting Holiday Traditions

Nov. 30, 2014

Every holiday season, there are those things that change and those that remain the same.

While the lineup of guests at your holiday table might be different and trends in tree decorations and wrapping paper constantly shift, you can almost always count on hearing multiple renditions of "Santa Baby" in every store and seeing performances of "The Nutcracker" and "A Christmas Carol" in every town, year after year.

So what makes these two stories so enduring despite their ubiquity? We asked the people behind the productions.

Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey

THE NUTCRACKER

""˜The Nutcracker’ is a simple, but imaginative story, one that can be told and understood without words and with beautiful visuals," explained Valerie St.

Pierre, program director at Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Arts Center.

Heather Raue, Crooked Tree’s director of dance, agrees. "Since its premier in 1892, "The Nutcracker" has endured as a favorite holiday tradition due to the storyline, diversity of characters, dancing and stunning score," she said.

Crooked Tree’s production of "The Nutcracker," Raue continued, is particularly special because it’s "100% homegrown."

"Many schools hire professional dancers to perform some of the more difficult principal roles," Raue said, "but our students are capable of performing professional-grade choreography beautifully."

"This isn’t a production populated with paid, pro dancers, which makes the quality of the dancing that much more astounding," St. Pierre added.

The backdrops, costumes and props are also exclusively creations of local artists and designers. Raue herself has choreographed the production along with her colleagues Karrie Benedict and Zoe Marshall-Rashid.

St. Pierre’s favorite part of the annual "Nutcracker" performance is watching the costume and production design evolve every year.

"Scenery, light, sound and costumes just add so much magic to a show," she said.

For Raue, "The Nutcracker" never remains the same because it changes with the cast.

"It’s so fun to see how different a role is portrayed by another dancer," she said. "I just love re-staging this ballet with different individuals every year!" Crooked Tree Arts Center’s production of "The Nutcracker" will take place Dec. 20 and 21 at the Harbor Springs Performing Arts Center. Visit www.crookedtree.org for tickets.

Dance Arts Academy, Traverse City

THE NUTCRACKER

Betsy Carr, artistic director at Dance Arts Academy, is another "Nutcracker" enthusiast who believes the story is timeless.

"The tradition of it is so appealing," she said, "and it has been performed for many years, so many in the audience have been part of a "˜Nutcracker’. The remembrance of that history helps keep it a beloved holiday tradition."

The variations within the storyline help keep audiences engaged, from the decoration of the Christmas tree and the arrival of the nutcracker to the travels in the Land of Sweets. The variety of characters also allows the production to showcase their talented dancers.

"I think each audience member will come out of our "˜Nutcracker’ with different opinions on what were the standout performances," Carr said. "Whether it’s the enthusiasm of our youngest dancers (our lambs and soldiers), the inspiring ensemble during the party scene or the professional-caliber dancers in the second act, there is definitely something for everyone."

Dance Arts Academy’s first "Nutcracker" performance was in 2002, with a small cast and many guest performers.

"Now, we not only have enough dancers for a full production, but most of the roles are double cast," Carr said.

This particular "˜Nutcracker’ is also a multigenerational one, with more experienced dancers helping those just getting started.

"Behind the scenes, we subtitle this production as "˜The Things We’ve Handed Down,’" she said, "because, at this point, we have dancers in the cast that have performed just about every role in the ballet, so it is great for them to be able to pass that knowledge along. That is definitely my favorite part about all of this!" Dance Arts Academy’s production of "˜The Nutcracker’ will take place Dec. 19 and 20 at the Dennos Museum in TC. Call 231-941-4234 for tickets.

Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

From the main character Scrooge–a name now synonymous with those devoid of holiday cheer–to the three Christmas ghosts, this classic Dickens tale from the Victorian Era is another story that’s remained popular since its publication in 1843.

"This is one of the most beloved and classic tales of redemption that not only captures the essence of the holiday spirit, but also serves as a life lesson, speaking to how much can be accomplished by looking outside of yourself and being kind to your fellow man," explained Beau Bisson, producing director of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan.

This year, Caravan will be returning to Interlochen Center for the Arts to share their performance of the classic tale after several years away.

"It is a delight to have the show back at Interlochen after so many years away," Bisson said. "Several years back, it was almost an annual tradition for us to play there, but recent scheduling conflicts made playing Interlochen a challenge. So, we look forward to seeing some old friends there, as well as making new ones!" Interlochen’s audience is sure to enjoy Paul Kerr’s performance as Ebenezer Scrooge and Bill Saunders as Jacob Marley, with the added support of Caravan’s remarkably lush onstage production values.

"Our production is designed and staged in such a way that it feels like a Currier and Ives postcard coming to life," Bisson said.

"And nothing embodies that more so than the opening scene. The costumes are all custom-made from lavish fabrics, the scenery exudes a Broadway-caliber scale and the music in the show heightens the emotional arc of the story."

An arc that, Bisson points out, is as much about family as it is about the holiday.

"It’s about focusing on the good things in life and enjoying the time you have while here on earth," Bisson said. "I think all of those aspects of humanity are very relatable to each and every one of us, and it never hurts to be reminded of that notion, particularly in this entertaining and enjoyable format."

Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s production of "˜A Christmas Carol’ will take place Dec. 2 at 7:30pm in Corson Auditorium on the campus of Interlochen Center for the Arts. For tickets, visit tickets.interlochen.org.