This year marks the eighth cycle of “The Nutcracker” returning to the UW stage. The show is performed once every four years to accommodate each student cohort; the Fine Arts Department is already in the process of bringing the classic ballet to life once more.
“We produce “The Nutcracker” only once every four years, as it is an enormous undertaking, both for the department and its students, as well as for the many children from the community involved,” Fine Arts Coordinator Kathy Kirkaldie said.
The University’s version of the show has shifted over the years from the traditional European design to include the scenic aspects of the West and Laramie from the 1890s.
“We wanted something very unique and very specific to the community, to Laramie, to Wyoming,” Professor and Costume Designer Lee Hodgson said. “Using the Ivinson’s as an inspiration was a natural outgrowth of where ‘Nutcracker’ could go.”
For many years, Hodgson has participated in “The Nutcracker,” but his decision to incorporate pieces of Laramie required research about the community utilizing the Laramie Plains Museum, Ivinson Mansion and other historic resources in town.
“The western theme [and] the scenic things that reference Laramie, [both of which have been] born of a collaboration of designers that have been around here for a very long time,” Marsha Knight, Professor of Ballet, Composition and Historical Dance, said.
Throughout its production, costume and set design have evolved. Some of the design components that reflect the town are the nutcracker soldiers dressed as cavalry and the mice dressed as the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.
After each performance cycle, Hodgson builds the costumes, drafts the plans and purchases materials anywhere from two to three years in advance. Doing so allows for greater depth and quality for the show, the department and the community.
“This is a wonderful mutual endeavor allowing people in the community, children in the community, to be a part of a quality dance production,” Knight said.
“The Nutcracker” has a great need to be presented with enthusiasm each cycle, in order to engage all involved in active collaboration: actors, musical theatre students, dancers, community children, orchestra members, costumers and students in the tech crew.
“I think it’s a point of pride in the department,” said Knight. “It is an all-hands-on-deck endeavor.”
The show itself will not be in production until this coming December, but the work being done at the present time is paramount to the success of UW’s “The Nutcracker.” This process will continue through the coming months as the Fine Arts Department refines and focuses on this project.
