Joffrey Ballet - The Nutcracker Reviews

Tiffany Hanson from Chicago, Illinois

LOVED THE CREATIVITY AND THE REFRESH!

I absolutely loved the refresh and all the creativity that went into the new storyline! The characters and costumes were so fun and I loved the addition of humorous characters like the dancing nuts and Wild Bill, with his lasso and free-flying fringe. I felt the beauty of the production was kept in tact while adding the direct connection to Chicago in the storyline, making the show feel incredibly unique. I traveled 3 hours to attend this show and would happily come back next year to enjoy this Chicago-exclusive production.

Carrie Hunt from Chicago, Illinois

WOW!

I absolutely loved it; this was not what I was expecting. I remember seeing this ballet many years ago and was drawn back to give my daughter a holiday experience while home from college. I appreciated the adaptation blending the World Fair with the story line. I am a big fan of local history, combining this with the incredible dancing was amazing!

Sheri from Morton Grove, Illinois

MAGICAL MOMENTS

I am 75 years old and this is my very first experience of seeing the Nutcracker. It was magnificent in every way. The dancers blew me away with their talent, The sets and choreography was superb and seemed to take your to all the magical places we got to experience. I would recommend this production to young or old. I won't forget it!!!!

from Chicago, Illinois

RAVEL'S BOLERO SAVED IT

This year was quite different from past performances I've seen. I wasn't a huge fan as it didn't have as much of a Christmas theme. However, I LOVED the performance to Ravel's Bolero. That was my favorite part

Krista from Chicago, Illinois

NUTCRACKER

I have seen the Nutcracker several times. I have to admit I prefer the Traditional version. I wouldn’t recommend it how it is. I love ballet and I love the Nutcracker. I was not a fan of all the changes. I’ll be back when it goes back to the traditional. That was the response of the people around me also. The dancers themselves were amazing as always.

Jenny from Chicago, Illinois

GOOD TO SEE ONCE, BUT NOT A YEARLY TRADTIION ANYMORE.

The Joffery's Original production was stunning and a joy to attend year after year. We even sat in the same seats each season, making it a cherished family tradition. The new production is interesting, and we liked the spin on it, but the premise is so far fetched, and the mysterious magical components are erased, making it a much more grown up tale that the children couldn't grasp like the fantasy of Clara and her sorcerer uncle, the transforming Nutcracker Prince and the dream world of Candyland. Overall, it was worth seeing once, but sadly, and almost brokenheartedly, this new Chicago-specific production has too many holes in the fantasy and we haven't been able to muster the excitement to attend it in subsequent years. We hope this one has a good run, but we can't wait to get back our beloved characters and scenes when Joffery finally reverts to the timeless classic version. Until then, we will spend our ticket money on other productions closer to the original, around Chicago.

Gina from Chicago, Illinois

DRAB

I didn’t realize they totally changed the story and with the change gone are the beautiful costumes and beloved dances. While there were a few glimmers of beauty overall it was disappointing- not the music or dancers ability but the beauty of the production. The whole first act is drab clothes and lots of gesticulating hard to follow and frankly a little dull. I live in the real world and came to see the Nutcracker for the beauty and fantasy that it is supposed to be.

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