The Danbury Music Centre hosted their 55th annual production of The Nutcracker at Danbury High School. The Nutcracker is a classic Christmas play that was popularized in the late 1800s after being adapted from the book by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The festive fantasy tells the classic magical tale of a Nutcracker coming to life on Christmas Eve and helps to defeat an evil Mouse King.  

 The play itself is known for beautiful dances and music to match. One key characteristic is the fact that there is no dialogue within the play, which means that all of the emotion must come from actions and expression. All of the people involved from different dance studios did an incredible job making the story come to life and working together to make the performance feel seamless.  

 The co-directors Arthur Fredrick and Lisa Denton have just celebrated their 25th anniversary directing the show. On top of the work that is put in by the creative team and the orchestra the production features over 200 dancers from different studios. The amount of collaboration that goes into this yearly event truly brings the community of Danbury together.  

Not to mention there is gorgeous set design and costumes that help to immerse the viewers into the world of The Nutcracker for the entirety of the runtime. The close attention to detail and care that goes into every decision before the show is put to the stage brings to life the holiday spirit for all that are in the audience no matter your age.  

The production also features a live orchestra that donates their time to the production each year. Every piece of music featured is originally by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the orchestra is what helps to set the scene for the play as they perform as the opening act before the dancers come out on stage. According to the directors in an interview conducted by WXCI 91.7, due to the live nature of the show many of the dancers have to adapt to change each night as the pacing may vary. All of the people involved begin to prepare in September which gives them three months to prepare everything for the Christmas season.  

The talent of these young dancers truly shines as the production is sure to highlight dancers from K through 12, with many of the leads being high school students. Previous dancers are also always welcomed back and regularly come to attend the new productions each year.  

Some of these students include Eleanor Raedy as Clara, Grayce Amos as the Sugar Plum Fairy and a Party Maid, Noel Bernard as Cavalier and a Butler, Ava Squeglia as the Dew Drop Fairy and a Party Maid, Hadley Drever as the Snow Queen and a Party Maid Benjamin Chaleski as the Nephew and a Prince, John Russo as Uncle Drosselmeyer, Carson Thompson as the Spanish Queen, Lilana Calipa As the Arabian Queen, Olivia Pouder as the Chinese queen, Stephanie Iwinski as the Russian princess, and many other talented dancers. A full list of names Involved within the production can be found on the Danbury Music Centre website. 

The show was definitely worth attending in order to get into the winter spirit as The Nutcracker proves perfect for families as a get-together activity during this season. For those looking for more information about the show, the Danbury production of the play is on Facebook as well as on the program website.