Joffrey Ballet - The Nutcracker Reviews

Margaret Reifsteck from Lena, Illinois

THE NUTCRACKER'S DEMISE

The 2023 production is a FARCE. I was so disappointed with the story line, poor set design, costumes, and ridiculous choreography....Cowboys lassoing, country dancers in cowboy boots???? I felt like crying. I definitely was left with a bad taste in my mouth. Shame. Shame. Shame

Brandon D from Indianapolis, IN

WISH I WOULD HAVE SAVED THE MONEY.

This adaptation was unnecessarily complicated. I was excited about the concept of The Nutcracker centering around the World’s Fair, but even reading the changes beforehand, it was too much work to follow. It was drab and sad and not worth the time and money spent to attend. I can’t recommend attending.

Alexis from Chicago, Illinois

DO NOT SEE. WASTE OF MONEY

they completely changed the traditional nutcracker story line to be about a poor family who lives in a shack with a Charlie Brown type Christmas tree. There wasn’t even a sugar plum fairy and was replaced by a lady in a gold dress. The sugar plum is an essential and iconic character!! This is not children friendly because a child who has never seen the nutcracker would not be able to follow along the story. Why are there cowboys?

Previous Resident of Chicago from Chicago, Illinois

RUTH PAGE TURNS OVER IN HER GRAVE

The “Chicago” Nutcracker remake is a woke disaster. The lame choreography lacks the previous magical power of Ruth Page’s creativity. Substituting a cowboy for the Russian dancers says it all. The previous colorful, Christmas, winter wonderland scenes are replaced with drab scenes of 1800’s brown Chicago skylines. I feel sorry for the performers who had to perform this farce. Fire the idiots behind this abomination and restore the tradition. Do not waste your time and money.

Marsha from Chicago, Illinois

DRAB AND DEPRESSING

What did I just spend all that money to see? It wasn’t The Nutcracker. This was supposed to be my Christmas show this year and I am left not feeling jolly but angry. I am an artist. I understand wanting to do something new and different but Christmas is not the time to mess with a child’s favorite. I saw two different families carrying out crying children who were scared. I wanted to cry too. Perhaps the dancers hated it as well because they were unsynchronized and lacking energy for much of it. Pastel and/or boring costumes hid what good dancing there was. Many were leaving before the curtain call and the complaints I heard waiting for the elevator were too numerous to count. Shame on those who thought this was a good idea. It was not. And I will think long and hard before attending another Joffrey performance.

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