Jazzy Nutcracker an Achievement Writ Large

For purists, there’s only one version of a classic that’s worthy of widespread regard and admiration.   Tchaikovsky’s 1892 lighter, more whimsical adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s short story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King may well fall in that category.  In 1960, two musical titans and collaborators looked at Tchaikovsky’s masterful score, saw it in a new light and recast it in a more contemporary mold.  That of big band jazz.  It was a stunning success, earning Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn international critical acclaim for their feat.  Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker adds another layer to their masterpiece. One made up of dance and song to create a new narrative for the world’s beloved Christmas staple.

Set in a tony enclave of Harlem called Sugar Hill, this story of the nutcracker complements Ellington and Strayhorn’s jazz infused music.  Along with the nutcracker, it follows a young girl on her journey of self-discovery.  The action continually blurs the lines between reality and the ephemeral observations of dreams as Lena (Alicia Mae Holloway) sails through her adventure. It’s fantastical, beautiful and drenched in the jazz duo’s incomparable music. In this adaptation, the Nutcracker (Jinhao Zhang), who’s a musician when we’re initially introduced to him, is on his own odyssey.  How their paths cross and entwine make up the core of what becomes a tale of exhilarating enchantment.

The brassy and bold overture opening the show lets you know this experience will be different in a big way.  Large and lush, the sound seems to be heralding something wonderful and consequential.  Recessed high above the stage, with conductor Harold O’Neal on piano at its center, the orchestra is composed and elegant.  The image they create sets a stylish tone for what’s to follow.

Like the Tchaikovsky original, Sugar Hill is told primarily in dance with ballet remaining central to its telling.   But the music and the shift in setting to 1930s Harlem mandate a broader dance scope for this venture.  By combining the talents of three exceptional choreographers, Sugar Hill leaps to mainstream appeal by also including the more contemporary dance forms of swing, tap and hip hop.  Featured choreographer Jon Boogz is distinguished for his ability to blend art forms.  That skill, along with Jessica Swan’s inspired concept and libretto for the production, help Sugar Hill look and feel transformational in the way it reads on the stage.  Audiences will find it ravishing for both its visual splendor and for the uniqueness of its presentation.  Some of that appeal can be attributed to the phenomenon of complimentary contrast; where multiple dance forms can be best appreciated by viewing them side by side.  Sugar Hill offers endless opportunities for such comparisons.   

Zhang as the musician turned nutcracker dances chiefly in ballet, where he effortlessly epitomizes impeccable form, poise and strength.  In Lena’s world, dance becomes much more fluid.  From the sleek but stiff “society dancing” at her parent’s posh party to when she finds herself in a secret jazz club, the possibilities of what dance can be explodes like fireworks.  Much of it is jaw dropping as it spins on Ellington and Strayhorn’s dazzling score. 

Plenty of elements within this adaptation link it to its late 19^th century inspiration.  This mouse king though sports something of a paunch and a black leather vest and the mice are menacing thugs.  Reimagining turns Sugar Plum Fairy into Sugar Rum Cherry.  The program synopsis clearly guides you through the cast and highlights of the modified story.  What you’ll remember is the tremendous originality of the effort and the sensational performances.  Holloway’s impressive versatility and natural ease make her a winning Lena.  David Kaley’s costumes, especially in the second act, will also cause appreciative reflection. 

Noted for the way it visualizes the fashion and dance aesthetic of the period, Sugar Hill’s first act offers an avalanche of outstanding dance designed as much for the group as it is for the individual. There, swing dancers blend in a touch of the acrobatic to showcase their prowess.  It’s also where four dancers in zoot suits, thanks to outstanding talent and choreography, redraw the limits of dance expression. 

To highlight Sugar Hill’s musical backbone, singing is noticeably spare.  When it does surface, it’s wrapped in gold.  Jennifer Jade Ledesna’s scat intro to Take the ‘A’ Train lit a flame that grew torch hot as it closed the first act.  The song’s melody acted as reoccurring touchpoint winding throughout the performance.  It would later be reprised in grand style to close the show.

A tribute to how imagination and artistic excellence can converge to create wonder, Sugar Hill will likely, if we’re fortunate, spawn its own tradition.  A tradition that will be noted as much for its generosity of spirit as it will be for its theatrical achievement. 

Sugar Hill:  The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker

Through December 30^th

The Auditorium Theatre

50 Ida B. Wells Drive

Chicago, IL  60605

Tickets:  https://auditoriumtheatre.org/events-details/sugar-hill/