The Nutcracker

Ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Ballet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Libretto by Marius Petipa based on the fairy-tale of E. T. A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas (perè)

World premiere on December 18, 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre

Premiere in the Estonian National Opera on December 3, 2023

Music Director: Kaspar Mänd
Conductors: Mikk Murdvee, Risto Joost, Andres Kaljuste
Choreographer and Stage Director: Gyula Harangozó (Hungary)
Assistants of the Stage Director: Blanka Fajth (Ungari), Balazs Krajczar (Ungari)
Set and Video Designer: Kentaur (Hungary)
Costume Designer: Rita Velich (Hungary)
Lighting Rasmus Rembel
Stage Manager Anton Osul
Repetiteurs Linnar Looris, Daniel Kirspuu, Marina Kesler, Luana Georg, David Jonathan, Age Oks, Katrin Kivimägi
Pianist-Repetiteurs Yuliya Braun, Olena Ilnitska
Conductors of the Estonian National Opera Boys' Choir: Mariliis Kreintaal, Maret Poll, Külli Kiivet, Sara Corriga

Estonian National Opera Orchestra and Boys' Choir
MUBA ballet students.

Estonian National Opera invites everyone to enjoy one of the most brilliant and heart-warming Christmas classics of all times! Gyula Harangozó’s staging of the new “The Nutcracker” takes you on a dazzling tour of a fairy tale wonderland, brimming with your favourite melodies by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

Gyula Harangozó: “With my ballet I would like to go back to its roots to be able to make it contemporary. It sounds as a contradiction, but it is not. When “The Nutcracker” was staged in St. Petersburg approximately 150 years ago, there was a very rough difference between the first act and the rest of the performance. The first act was a “here and now” situation with a 19th century Christmas party where the children could recognise everything they saw on stage. The rest of the ballet was a dream, a fairy tale where anything could happen without limits. This duality has disappeared by the passing of time and the whole performance has become a fairy tale for us.

To keep the original dramaturgy, I would like to stage the first act as “here and now”, hoping that the children will be familiar with everything that they see on stage – beginning with the costumes and sets up to a video game and the dolls shown by Drosselmayer – and are easily involved in the show. The second half of the performance will be built on the classical tradition inspired by the choreography of Vasili Vainonen, so the fans of the classical ballet will meet their expectations”.

Recommended for ages 4+
The performance includes pyrotechnics (gunshot, flashing light etc).

Cast:

Nutcracker-prince Joel Calstar-Fisher, William Newton, Cristiano Principato, Ali Urata, Finn Adams, Rasmus Ahlgren 
Klara Ami Morita, Anna Roberta, Laura Maya, Marta Navasardyan, Ketlin Oja, Madeline Skelly, Philippa McCann, Rio Morisawa​​​​​​​
Drosselmeier Ali Urata, Marcus Nilson, William Newton, Joel Calstar-Fisher, Cristiano Principato​​​​​​​
Mr. Stahlbaum Connor Williams, Marcus Nilson, Nikos Gkentsef, Finn Adams, Vitali Nikolajev, Ali Urata, Cristiano Principato​​​​​​​
Ms. Stahlbaum Triinu Upkin, Marjana Fazullina, Nadežda Antipenko, Ksenia Seletskaja, Ashley Chiu​​​​​​​
The Grandmother Kim Jana Hügi, Oksana Saar, Nanae Maruyama, Seili Loorits-Kämbre
Spiderman Luca Giovanetti, Antonio Gallo, Yuki Nonaka, Theo Bourg, Liam Strickland, Hiroto Nakabayashi​​​​​​​
Barbie Laura Maya, Marta Navasardyan, Ketlin Oja, Phillipa McCann, Rio Morisawa​​​​​​​
Robot Antonio Gallo, Finn Adams, Oji Fujino, Yuki Nonaka, Hiroto Nakabayashi​​​​​​​
Rat King Marcus Nilson, Nikos Gkentsef, Finn Adams, Connor Williams, Oscar Pouchoulin, Liam Strickland, Sacha Barber​​​​​​​
Snowflakes t Marta Navasardyan, Ashley Chiu, Rio Morisawa, Abigail Payne, Nanae Maruyama, Phillipa McCann, Ellinor Piirimäe, Ketlin Oja, Ami Morita, Sophie Farquhar, Marjana Fazullina​​​​​​​
Spanish dance Abigail Payne, Kim Jana Hügi, Phillipa McCann, Polina Sosimova, Oksana Saar, Karina Leškin, Karite- Mirell Mander, Lisa Jamieson, Rio Morisawa, Gabriella Vidano, Violeta Vedenina, Jette Pruulmann, Anastasiia Merkulova, Alice Pelizza, Yukina Yokoyama​​​​​​​
Chinese dance Phillipa McCann, Rio Morisawa, Gabriella Vidano, Polina Sosimova, Yukina Yokoyama, Alice Pelizza, Jette Pruulmann​​​​​​​
Arabic dance Nanae Maruyama, Laura Maya, Oksana Saar, Marta Navasardyan, Rio Morisawa, Polina Sosimova, Alice Pelizza, Yukina Yokoyama​​​​​​​
Russiandance Phillipa McCann, Karina Laura Leškin, Ellinor Piirimäe, Marjana Fazullina, Violeta Vedenina, Caroline Hamilton, Kim Jana Hügi