The Show Must Go On: Brooklyn Nutcracker To Be Performed In Socially Distant Fashion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Miku Kawamura rehearses to achieve sugar plum perfection for this season's Brooklyn Nutcracker.
"You know, I thought there was not going to be Nutcracker this year, you know? So I'm very excited about it," Kawamura, who's playing the Sugar Plum Fairy, told CBS2's Dave Carlin recently.
This holiday favorite returns, but not like usual. Last year, Kawamura performed with 70 people last year.
A pandemic Nutcracker has gotten scaled back, with a new spin: Dancers behind glass and the audience outside, looking in. Instead of curtain up, it will be window shades up, beginning Dec. 10.
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Nine shows are scheduled, with about 30 spectators each time. Social distance ambassadors will make sure people don't linger too long or get too close to each other.
Brooklyn Nutcracker is presented free of charge.
"It's like going to Macy's and looking at the store windows. You're going to see the Nutcracker windows, and it's hanging out for 20 minutes and you can really see the highlights of the Brooklyn nutcracker," said Lynn Parkerson, founding artistic director of the Brooklyn Ballet.
Each 20 minute show is the highlights, with solos and other dances capped at no more than 5 dancers.
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The show gets moved from stage to an intimate space they now call their jewel box.
"Your audience is outdoors. Our dancers are masked and socially distanced and tested, and so we feel like we can pull this off safely and it is going to bring tremendous joy to the community," Parkerson said.
Brooklyn's Esther Wang and five-year-old son JJ will return when they can see it with enhanced costumes lights and sound.
"New York City is so full of culture and it's something we've been missing this summer And it's an opportunity that we can take advantage of," she said.
This is a culturally expanded Nutcracker, mashing up classical ballet, flamenco, hip hop and more. And while this year it was tough nut to crack, COVID did not Brooklyn ballet to its knees.
To sign up to see the performance, click here.
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