Joffrey Ballet - The Nutcracker Reviews

Tom from Chicago, Illinois

I WANTED TO LIKE IT... HORRIBLE

I was interested in the Chicago Worlds Fair idea, but this choreography (and some performance) was so bad, it borders on amateur. My best one liner is "Ice follies in shoes". I laughed out loud at some points, and not in a good way. I definitely feel ripped off and dissappointed and a bit sad that anyone offers this (sorry) crap

Anna from Chicago, Illinois

REIMAGINED "NUTCRACKER" IS AN AWFUL STORY

Live orchestra and talent of the dancers is great. Story IS NOT Nutcracker. It's a love story about the World's Fair. Buffalo Bill's can can girls and lasso is the most offensive to us native Slavics. The costumes look like rags. Will never go back until it reverts to the magic of Christmas.

Joe from St. Louis, MO

VERY DISAPPOINTED

I have been going to the nutcracker since I was a child and was expecting another great performance but was shocked by this new “woke” interpretation of the Nutcracker. Not only was this new story terrible, contrived, and hard to follow but the dancing was off too. The ballerinas in several scenes were completely unsynchronized, which I would imagine is due to lack of rehearsing. If you’re looking for a performance of the Nutcracker, this isn’t it.

Susan from Chicago, Illinois

MANY OF US WERE DUPED!

I guess the blame lies at my feet for not being "in the know" that this was not the traditional Nutcracker. If it were just for adults, fine. But we brought a 6 and 7 year old who knew the story from books, but couldn't come close to following this "version" of the Nutcracker. To make it worse, we had 8 tickets. The setting and costumes were depressing. Very drab. The story for the kids was unrecognizable. So they were confused and bored. To top it off, the male dancers were just not great, and the real show stopper was instead of the Russian dancers, they had three raggedy, cheap looking saloon girls and a guy in chaps with a lariat. Yes, I understand that was supposed to tie in with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, but do you honestly think a 6 or 7 year old could do that? This was a disaster, and frankly, embarrassing for the Joffrey. We'll drive out to the suburbs next year for the old version.

Ashley from Chicago, Illinois

YOU GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO CALL THAT NUTCRACKER??

Beyond disappointed. You are deceiving the audience! If you want to stay away from everything Russian come up with something else but don’t ruin classic masterpiece.

Cathy from Chicago, Illinois

THE MAGIC IS LOST

The idea to set the story in Chicago during the 1893 Columbian Exposition seemed interesting but the sets in the first act are dark and the costumes dreary. Life-like rats are too realistic for children. Second act is better lit, but choreography is awkward, dancers out of sync, dancing walnuts and other characters odd. Costumes hide the dancers movements, especially the Indian princess, Queen of the Fair and sugar plum fairies.

Morgan from Chicago, Illinois

NOT THE TRADITIONAL NUTCRACKER

If you’re looking for the bright colorful costumes, DON’T look here! The show is set in the depression, and that’s how you’ll be if you take your kids to see this! You know the Russian dancers? They’ve been replaced with two saloon girls and a cowboy flailing a lariat dressed in chaps! This show needs to come with a warning! Awful!!

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