Hard Nut

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Buy This Item Hard Nut by Nonesuch  Available from Amazon  $29.98  on 11-16-2008     I just watched this performance again for the first time since it was originally broadcast on PBS and it is every bit as wonderful as the first time around. <br /> <br />The first act is a delicious sendup of the late 1960s-early 1970s and after a sagging a bit at the beginning of the second act, the performance closes with stellar dancing by the principals and the entire company. <br /> <br />Mark Morris distills the work of other choreographers -- Bob Fosse, Paul Taylor, Balanchine --into his own unique dance vocabulary. Drosselmeyer is right out of Tommy Tune; the GI Joe contingent could have been on loan from Paul Taylor. The work is both a sendup and homage to the dance traditions that Morris has so brilliantly absorbed. Withal, about about as pleasurable a modern dance performance as you are apt to witness. <br /> <br /> Reader Reviews Yes, this is a retelling of the Nutcracker in a modern setting. But its real genius is Mark Morris' brilliant choreography. He has crafted a ballet that simultaneously pokes gentle fun at the traditional while far surpassing it in its humor and inventiveness. His Dance of the Snowflakes for instance is a sparkling gem that makes Balanchine look like a piker. If you don't like the costumes or the party scene or men in dresses, forget that stuff - just watch the gorgeous dances as they unfold one after another, sensuous, lyrical and flowing, reminiscent of Paul Taylor at his best. And there are wicked little sight gags in nearly every scene that provide the icing on the cake. The Hard Nut is not just a satire on the Nutcracker - it is a true work of art in its own right. If you're just a bit bored with the Nutcracker after having seen it 1000 times, you'll love the Hard Nut. And if guys in tutus offend you, well there's always the Disney Channel.

Hard Nut Available from Amazon Price: $29.98 Updated on 11-16-2008.

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