The House Theatre of Chicago Brings in the Holiday Season with “The Nutcracker”

How do we grieve? Do we cry, screaming into the lonely darkness where someone will no longer stand? Do we hide, shriveling into the shadows of our hurt? How do we heal hurt that cannot be undone?

The House Theatre of Chicago posits that instead of drowning, dismissing, or denying grief, that we bring it into the light; in order to heal, we must reach out to the ones we love and let something grow from our scars. Though it spreads holiday cheer with radiant optimism and mirthful celebration The House Theatre’s “annual family-friendly, ballet-free adaptation” of The Nutcracker is much more than meets the eye.

Created by House company members Jake Minton, Phillip Klapperich, Kevin O’Donnell, and Tommy Rapley, The Nutcracker follows Clara and her family following the Christmas that Fritz — loving son, brother, and soldier — doesn’t come home. Having lost their only son, Martha and David are set on cancelling Christmas, until the booming, eccentric Uncle Drosselmeyer arrives unannounced to stay for the holiday, bringing with him a Nutcracker carved in Fritz’s likeness. Clara and her enigmatic great uncle plot to save the Christmas season, fighting to keep light and love alive in a home overcome with grief. Magic comes to Clara’s aid as her favorite toys are brought to life to aid in her quest — including Nutcracker Fritz. With the help of her toys and reanimated brother, Clara must fight the evil rats that manifest within the darkness of her home in order to save Christmas.

Tactfully directed and choreographed by House company member Tommy Rapley, this production is filled to the brim with energy and life. The Nutcracker is performed in the round to great effect, allowing cast members to inhabit the environment with organic ease.  Movement in the space is filled with purpose and life; Rapley’s direction wholeheartedly embraces three-dimensionality. From the beginning, cast members freely glide, skip, revel and sing with a sense of freedom and an aptitude for play; Rapley does well to facilitate a space of inclusive celebration and interpersonal engagement. As such, the isolation and desolate emptiness left by Fritz’s death is profoundly effective. The bright, mirthful stasis is grimly juxtaposed with quiet, subdued darkness, the house emptied of laughter and filigree. Rapley negotiates scarcity and excess with ease, as he deftly shifts between gut-busting explosions of revelry and sobering displays of desolate despair.

Particularly affecting is Rapley’s utilization of motifs and mirroring. The passage of time from day to toy-reanimating night is a consistent ritual that subverts expectation through slight variations on each permutation; that is to say, many gags in the show benefit from establishing expectations, then breaking them. Other motifs are employed as a means of connecting characters or enhancing dramatic impact, such as Fritz’s hard hitting sacrifice as he screams a battle cry while charging into the wall to fight the rats — “dying” yet again for the safety of his sister. Clara repeats this same motif in her own attempt to defeat the darkness, to viscerally powerful effect.

While this adaptation of The Nutcracker is not balletic, it is still certainly musically robust. Violinist Jess Mcintosh, cellist Donna Miller, pianist Jon Schneidman, percussionist Anthony Scandora, and french horn player Sarah Younker play with dynamic clarity as they support the three-dimensionality of Rapley’s direction with sonic dimension of their own. Music director and orchestrator Matthew Muñiz leads these musicians with a strong baton; the orchestra is in perfect harmony with themselves and with the space. They enrapture all ears present with the spirit of Christmas.

Scenic designer Collette Pollard creates a magnificent living room set with endearing pictures of family hung on each wall — this set is surprisingly malleable as it transforms from a normal homestead to the twisted dimension of the Rat King’s domain within the walls. Come falling snow, flying cookie ingredients, or falling hammers, this set is built to accommodate any and everything cast or crew could throw at it.

Michael Griggs contributes masterful sound design to this production, detailing every sound byte with deep bassy power and visceral realism. Griggs’ design is vital to the theatricality of this show’s tragic moments — every hallow wind rushing through empty door frames, every creak and groan of a house twisted by pain, every terrifying pulse of the darkness within the house’s walls. This sound design truly elevates the production to outstanding captivation.

Costume designers Debbie Baer and Mieka van der Ploeg expertly craft visual masterpieces. Characters are not only dressed with impeccable style, but with nuance that enhances aspects of their personality. “The toys” are decorated with stunning minutia. The texturally rich outfits include a lifesize doll with large head of yarn, a form-fitting military garb, and even a functioning lightbulb hat. With such aesthetic care put into the production design, The Nutcracker need only be looked at to be enjoyed.

Of course, the enchanting aesthetics are brought to life with humanity and passion by a stellar cast. Haley Bolithon stars as Clara, captivating hearts with her spunky and hopeful performance. The simplicity of Bolithon’s timbre is as charming as it is powerful; coupled with her highly physicalized performance, Bolithon demonstrates a strong comfort with herself and the environment around her. There is a pure delicateness about her singing voice that aptly indicates innocence and sadness. Her truthful engagement with scene partners is assisted by a hopeful glimmer in her eyes, certain to revitalize the holiday spirit within the Grinchiest of Scrooges.

Rom Barkhordar commands the stage with his bellowing voice and mammoth stature as Uncle Drosselmeyer; however, he demonstrates great craftsmanship as an actor, juxtaposing his firm, gung-ho persona with overflowing tenderness and compassion. Barkhordar’s aptitude for spontaneous action and honest listening is truly captivating; he plays not for “the bit,” but for the engagement with his fellow actor.

Desmond Gray portrays Fritz with overwhelming sincerity and humanity; despite being a nutcracker, Gray imbues Fritz with warmth and kindness that is deeply empathetic. As such, his absence on stage is felt more acutely as the circumstances of Clara’s grief come crashing into reality. Though playing hardened soldier, able to take command with competence, Gray layers tender brotherly love into everything he does. The light, airy timbre of his voice is particularly affecting when juxtaposed with his role — it begets sensitivity and longing that are central to the character’s struggle.

Nicholas Bailey captures the forlorn distance of a grieving father as David, as well as the caricaturesque villainy of the Quite Scary Rat. Bailey uses posture to great effect as David, standing upright with bright-eyed awareness before the loss of his son, thereafter slumping his shoulders with sedated depression. However, the acute distress of grief is more reflected through the hope that Bailey applies to David, rather than through the distraught slump of despair. Equally as captivating yet entirely contrasting is Bailey’s shift to the Quite Scary Rat — an inept caricature of, well… a scary, human-sized rat. Bailey completely embraces play and nimbly skips and prowls across the stage for great comedic effect.

Phenomenally designed and expertly cast, the House Theatre’s The Nutcracker is sure to fill hearts with laughter and eyes with tears. This production validates the soul with its sensitive and understanding approach to human fallibility in times of unrest. Director and actor alike take special care not to place judgement upon those who grieve, tactfully sowing messages of healing and growth from the open wounds we often leave untreated.

Whether the holidays are jolly or sobered by misfortune, The Nutcracker is sure to uplift spirits and acknowledge your sorrow with warmth; it’s certain to fire up ovens as well — the cookie recipe depicted in the program is out of this world.

 

Highly Recommended

 

Reviewed by Quinn Rigg

 

The House Theatre presents “The Nutcracker” at the Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division through December 30th. For more information and tickets, visit http://thehousetheatre.com/playsandevents/nutcrackerseason17 or call 773-769-3832.