Newsletter 12/9: A critic's 5 takeaways from Charlotte Ballet's 'Nutcracker'
Plus the news of the week: Wells Fargo ends sponsorship of Wells Fargo Championship; Airport outlines traffic improvements; Hornets' president steps down; Nature museum expansion in doubt
Good morning! Today is Saturday, December 9, 2023. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.
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Today’s Charlotte Ledger is sponsored by the 10th Anniversary Blumey Awards Celebration | Blumenthal Performing Arts (blumenthalarts.org), a one-night-only event and fundraiser benefitting the Blumey Inspire Fund. The 10th Anniversary Blumey Awards Celebration will welcome past and present Blumey Award participants to the Belk Theater stage for a benefit show filled with special guests, cameos, local talent and fun surprises. It’s the ultimate party for a good cause, 10 years in the making.
You don’t need to be a child to enjoy Charlotte Ballet’s fantastical ‘Nutcracker;’ charm, spirit and detail keep the perennial classic fresh
Charlotte Ballet’s “Nutcracker” opened Friday and runs through Dec. 23. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Ballet)
by Lawrence Toppman
Anyone can guess what a 7-year-old enjoys about Charlotte Ballet’s annual staging of “The Nutcracker”: The sparkling elegance of the tutus, the accessible beauties of Tchaikovsky’s perennially fresh score, the chance to grab dance merchandise at overflowing lobby kiosks.
But what does a man approaching 70 get out of the performance? Here are five un-childlike takeaways from a guy who has no grandkids to imbue him with a sense of innocent wonder.
◼️ Attention to detail: I hadn’t seen the “Million-Dollar Nutcracker,” so-called in 2016 when a $1 million gift bought sumptuous new sets and costumes, since the year it premiered. I wished at the time that the McColl family, who made the gift to the ballet in honor of Jane Spratt McColl, the wife of former Bank of America Chairman Hugh McColl, had used that money to pay for 20 new pieces by choreographers from around the world, and I still do. But they got what they paid for.
The towering candy canes in the Land of Sweets make me smile. Backdrops such as the roaring dragon that descends for the Chinese number come and go impressively, one after the other. The snow at the end of Act 1 falls in an even, delicate pattern through the entire waltz, an effect hard to pull off. Costumes on the corps in the Waltz of the Flowers aren’t just green and pink; the skirts come in three subtly different shades of pink, and the green bodices have an iridescent center, like the inner colors on a flower’s petals.
◼️ Naivete: This remains the main Charlotte choreographic legacy of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, who was then artistic director of the company. (He sat in the center orchestra of Belk Theater Friday night, watching his work with wife Patricia McBride next to him.)
Like all his ballets for children, it’s gentle and unthreatening, a fairy tale without a hint of darkness. There’s no danger from the Rat King, no anxiety about puberty or romantic longings for Clara, no spookiness in grandfather Drosselmeyer. We’re not surprised when Clara remains in the Land of Sweets at the end, rather than returning to her parents’ home or waking up from a dream in her bed, because everything about the evening is a fantasy.
◼️ Rock ‘n’ roll behavior: “The Nutcracker” has its own crowd decorum, one you wouldn’t encounter at other dance events. Audience members hollered “Whoo-hoo!” when favorite dancers appeared, let alone started to move. Shrill whistles and waves of applause greeted even slight achievements.
I’m talking not about kids whose proud aunties cheered spontaneously, but professional dancers whose fan clubs turned out in force. Although somebody should’ve yanked down the woman in front of me who jumped to her feet, applauded and shouted “Bravo!” while a dancer was in the middle of her solo.
◼️ Emptying the school: Like George Balanchine at New York City Ballet, for whom he danced in the 1970s, Bonnefoux believed every student could find a spot in “The Nutcracker,” from the older party guests in Act 1 to the little angels with candles at the start of Act 2.
Sometimes that philosophy means beginners take on choreography too difficult for them. Often, it yields happier results, such as the charming Clara of Elyn Jenkins and the high-bouncing Fritz of Riley Smith as the siblings who fought over the Nutcracker Friday night.
◼️ Unexpected humor: I had never noticed the couple who briefly stride into a tango on the way to Clara’s party, or the flirtatious background antics at the event. Nor did I remember Drosselmeyer breaking into hip-hop moves or doing goofy things with a flustered maid.
Drosselmeyer, often portrayed as a slightly sinister figure, comes off in James Kopecky’s performance as Jim Carrey might have played him 30 years ago. Kopecky, who staged the production in Bonnefoux’s absence, usually takes dramatic roles, so it was pleasant to see him as a pompous, slightly silly fellow fond of parlor tricks. We were a thousand miles away from the source material, a weird story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, but I laughed as hard as any 7-year-old.
➡️ If You’re Going: “The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 23 at Belk Theater, with both weekday and weekend matinees and evening shows. Tickets range from $30 to $156.
Lawrence Toppman covered the arts for 40 years at The Charlotte Observer before retiring in 2020. Now, he’s back in the critic’s chair for the Charlotte Ledger — look for his reviews about two times each month in the Ledger.
Today’s supporting sponsors are… The Mint Museum. Enjoy free museum admission at Mint Museum Uptown and activated spaces for the public opening of the exhibition Craft Across Continents, featuring contemporary Japanese and Western Objects from the Lassiter/Ferraro Collection.
…. and Crisis Assistance Ministry. Today at Crisis Assistance Ministry, 100 families will seek to avoid eviction or utility loss. You can ensure those neighbors maintain the hope, warmth and light of home this season.
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
TODAY AND SUNDAY: SouthPark Holiday Hop, 9 a.m to 8 p.m., SouthPark area. There's a 100% chance of holiday cheer in the neighborhood during the Holiday Hop. Happening December 6-10, the Holiday Hop will feature festive community events, exclusive retail and restaurant deals, free shuttle rides, and local holiday window displays. Free.
TODAY: “Craft Across Continents” Opening Celebration, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mint Museum Uptown. Enjoy free museum admission and activated spaces for the public opening of the exhibition Craft Across Continents — Contemporary Japanese and Western Objects: The Lassiter/Ferraro Collection that features more than 60 contemporary glass, ceramics, bamboo, and textile contemporary objects by artists from around the globe, all from the private collection of Charlotteans Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro. Free.
◼️ Check out the full Ledger events board.
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
This week in Charlotte: Wells Fargo ends sponsorship of Quail Hollow golf tournament, politicians file for next year’s elections, Hornets exec leaves, traffic fixes at CLT
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Local news
Fixing traffic problems at CLT: (Transit Time) Ahead of holiday travel, Charlotte’s airport is planning some changes designed to reduce traffic headed to the terminal, including altered shuttle bus routes and more staffing.
Nature museum expansion short on money: (WSOC) The expansion of Discovery Place Nature (formerly known as the Nature Museum) could be in jeopardy, as officials say construction costs have surged by $20M. County commissioners agreed to kick in an extra $10M, but it’s uncertain where the remaining money would come from.
Politics
Election filing time: (WRAL) Politicians this week started filing to run for office next year. Some of the shake-ups include Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry stepping down, which could make the path to Congress easier for N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore because Moore’s primary opponent is switching to McHenry’s old district.
New leadership roles: The Charlotte City Council elected council member Danté Anderson to the leadership role of mayor pro tem. Mecklenburg County commissioners picked Mark Jerrell as the board’s new vice chairman.
Education
UNC Chapel Hill chancellor taking new job: (WRAL) UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz is leaving to become president of Michigan State University.
Embezzlement report: (WFAE) Two days after firing its founder, K-12 charter school Corvian Community School reported to police that an employee made $50,000 in unauthorized credit card charges for clothes, a hotel room and a helicopter ride. The woman’s lawyer said she paid for her personal expenses using a card that was available to both her and the school.
Business
Happiest development on Earth? (WRAL) Disney is planning a 4,000-home development on 1,500 acres in Pittsboro, about 40 miles west of Raleigh. The neighborhood could include “storytelling dinners inspired by Disney tales, lessons with Disney artists and family fun days with Disney-themed activities.”
Wells CEO sues: (Fortune) Former Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan is suing the bank for $34M in back pay, saying he’s owed for stock awards, bonuses and “emotional distress” following his 2019 resignation.
Hotel headed to South End? (Ledger) A 0.6-acre vacant lot across from South End’s RailYard development was sold to a company connected to a hotel developer.
Sports
Wells Fargo name coming off Quail Hollow tournament: (Business Journal, subscriber-only) Wells Fargo is ending its sponsorship of the annual golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club after this year, saying it is revising its sports sponsorship strategy. The bank’s name has been on the tournament since it started in 2003.
Hornets president to depart: (Associated Press) Fred Whitfield, who has led the Charlotte Hornets’ business operations for more than 17 years, is stepping down. Whitfield said in a statement that he has been battling serious throat cancer for the last 18 months and has been focusing on supporting his mother through her health issues and that “now is the right time to leave my role with the Hornets.”
Honey Hunters in Chapter 11: (WSOC) Gastonia’s minor league baseball team, the Gastonia Honey Hunters, filed for bankruptcy protection, with $4M in liabilities.
In case you missed it … ‘The Future of Work’
The Charlotte Ledger this week paused most of our regular newsletters to focus on a short series examining “The Future of Work” — how the workplace is evolving, where it’s heading, and what that change means for companies and employees.
If you missed some or all of it, you can catch up here:
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative