Christmas classic gets an exotic twist:OPG’s ‘Nutcracker’ to include Bollywood, Latin influence

Published 1:30 am Monday, December 12, 2016

A holiday favorite by way of Bollywood, with Mexican influences and a healthy fistful of karate mixed in, this year’s Olympic Performance Group production of “The Nutcracker” promises a new take on a Christmas classic the likes of which have never been seen ‘round these parts before.

OPG is well known for rebooting the beloved tale each year. Past themes have included masquerade balls, a classic French twist and even a fairy tale take on the story of Clara and her iconic, magical present. This year’s theme, “World Explorer,” again ups the ante in terms of including an even wider array of dance styles, extravagant costumes and totally new characters.

The idea to incorporate foreign cultures and exotic locales is very much in keeping with the original plot, said OPG Co-Executive Director Dawn Weber. They just cranked the concept to 11 this year.

“‘The Nutcracker’ is kind of a multicultural thing anyway,” Weber said. “If you think about the second act, [Clara] goes to different lands, like Arabia and China, but what we’ve done this year is make it new cultures that people haven’t seen in ‘The Nutcracker’ before.”

This year’s version introduces audiences to a charismatic explorer and his intriguing sidekick during the famous Christmas party at the start of the show. They take off around the globe, delighting viewers with fresh takes on traditional dance and performance, including a visit to Bollywood and a contemporary celebration highlighting Mexican heritage, as well as tumbling karate dolls and (of course) graceful ballerinas. Especially intriguing this year is the addition of the Giant Puppy character, a lovably mischievous scoundrel of Marmaduke-like proportion — which takes two dancers to operate.

The concept was decided on this summer, Weber said, inspired partly by the Olympics and also her own love of Bollywood style. It can be a challenge, she explained, to walk the line between a fresh twist and a distracting transformation.

“At what point do you just say this is a great theme, and at what point does it become a different story?” she said. “Because we want the story to always stay the same, and the music. We always have new music, but there are certain pieces that you just don’t mess with.

“We struggled with that,” she added. “We have to ask ourselves, ‘Have we gone too far?’ And then bring it back, because people still want to come and see ‘The Nutcracker.’”

Making those tough decisions each year are the ruling OPG trio: the show’s director, OPG founder and artistic director Sara Cramer and co-executive directors Weber and Amy Collis.

Cramer has taught dance for more than 20 years.

Her dance school, Bainbridge Ballet, opened in 2003 with a curriculum that boasted a strong emphasis on technique, while offering training in a wide variety of styles. She has staged numerous productions, such as “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty” and, naturally, various annual versions of “The Nutcracker.”

She spearheaded the founding of OPG, she said, to enhance the performing arts in Kitsap County and give local communities a chance to participate and watch professional-level productions.

The cast of this year’s Nutcracker consists of about 60 dancers and actors, about 40 who are teens and kids — the youngest being only 6 years old.

Shows are 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18 as well as 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19 at the North Kitsap Auditorium (1881 NE Hostmark St., Poulsbo).

Tickets, $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for children, students and military, are available at www.olym picperformancegroup.org and also at the door (while supplies last). Group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more.

To the ardent Nutcracker purists (of which there are some, apparently), Weber defends the yearly OPG reboot as a fun, engaging alternative to the rightfully lionized classic.

“You can go to [Pacific Northwest Ballet] for that,” she said. “They’re the same story every year, which is totally valid. But, in our mind, how many Nutcrackers can you go to see before you’re just Nutcrackered to death? And how many can we put on before we’re Nutcrackered to death? So how can we be different and fresh and new and something exciting?”

It’s like Shakespare, she said. Some people have to have the frilly collars and some people want Baz Lurhmann.

“Most people come out of the show, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s so cool,” Weber said. “Last year, we had this little old lady who came in by herself, she’s not affiliated with us at all, but she saw it the year before and she came up to the ticket desk and said, ‘I came last year and I just had to see what you were going to do this year.’

“At those moments you go: ‘That’s why we do this.’ They’re curious and that’s why they come back.”