Audiences can discover the seafaring heritage and vibrant coral reef environment of the Florida Keys, blended with a sizeable helping of heartfelt holiday spirit, during performances of the unforgettable “Nutcracker Key West” in the island city.
Children costumed as Key West chickens scamper around heroine Clara during a past year’s performance of “Nutcracker Key West.” (Photo by Carol Tedesco, Florida Keys News Bureau)
The unique subtropical version of the classic “Nutcracker” ballet begins an eight-show run Thursday, Dec. 5 — flavored with characters and sets that celebrate Key West’s colorful history, culture, traditions, underwater wonders, and even the free-roaming chickens and roosters that have become unofficial island mascots.
“Nutcracker Key West” stars 16 professional dancers from New York City, plus some 200 local kids and adults. Cast members include the acclaimed Maurizio Nardi, a former principal with the prestigious Martha Graham Dance Company.
Together they bring the ballet’s timeless story to life onstage at the Tennessee Williams Theatre (located at 5901 College Road on the campus of The College of the Florida Keys). Produced by the theater’s artistic team, it’s rich in both talent and visual pageantry.
The Key West version of the holiday favorite was first performed in 2005, and generally returns every two years to delight visiting and resident Florida Keys audiences. And delight them it does.
The production transforms the tale of a young girl’s journey to the land of the Sugarplum Fairy into an engaging island fantasy. Characters include dancing snowy egrets, phosphorescent sea anemones, fighting fish and a nutcracker whose headdress features a conch shell, the symbol of the Florida Keys (which is also known as the Conch Republic).
Purists who love the original ballet will find plenty of familiar touches. For example, there’s still an exquisitely graceful Sugarplum Fairy — though in “Nutcracker Key West,” she’s called the Sea Star Fairy.
The saga of young Clara’s holiday dream unfolds at a stylized Christmas party in 1860s Key West. Subsequently, standout dance sequences include a battle where toy sailors protect Clara from the Rooster King, recalling the island’s renegade poultry population.
Florida Keys children costumed as reef fish perform with professional dancers during a scene from a past year’s production of “Nutcracker Key West.” (Photo by Carol Tedesco, Florida Keys News Bureau)
A scene set on the Keys’ coral reef features young children costumed as tumbling pink shrimp in King Neptune’s court, colorful angelfish and a school of sparkling red snapper.
The storyline also includes imagery drawn from the history of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, shipwrecked off Key West in 1622 while carrying a cargo of treasure from the Americas home to Spain.
One of the most breathtaking sequences features dancers in flowing costumes portraying the “jewels” of the Atocha — with the galleon humorously renamed “Atoeshu” for the production.
A holiday tradition that Keys residents share with visitors, “Nutcracker Key West” incorporates intricate choreography, elaborate sets, and dazzling costumes. In fact, the production itself is as distinctive as its transformation of the original ballet into a celebration of the Florida Keys.
Performances of the gorgeous and lovingly crafted “Nutcracker Key West” (both evening shows and matinees) continue through Sunday, Dec. 15, and tickets are expected to go fast.
With prices beginning at $35 per person for evening shows and $15 per person for matinees, tickets can be purchased at keystix.com. If you’re headed for the Florida Keys in December, get them quickly … so you don’t miss this island-flavored holiday gem.
