R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : A ‘Cracking Good Time Is Had by All

Orange County ballet buffs celebrated the arrival of a shiny new “Nutcracker” Friday at a party following the world premiere performance of the Yuletide classic by the American Ballet Theatre.

More than 150 guests--including the diminutive Yan Chen, who danced the lead role of Clara in the ballet--gathered at Roxbury South in Santa Ana for an opening night party staged by the board of directors of the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The ABT, accompanied by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, unveiled the company’s new version of the ballet at the Costa Mesa center.

Nuts About ‘Nutcracker’

This crowd of theater-goers knew its “Nutcrackers,” and many deemed the ABT’s version to be the best they had ever seen.

“I’ve seen ‘The Nutcracker’ 15 times, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jim Johnson, accompanied by wife Nora.

As “Nutcrackers” go, this one impressed the crowd by its lighter mood.

“Sometimes they make ‘The Nutcracker’ very dark. This was light, magic--a celebration of childhood,” said Fiona Petersen, past president of the guilds for the center.

Many enjoyed the fresh twists that artistic director Kevin McKenzie added to the ballet--such as showing Clara blossom into a young woman, abandoning her childish outfits for a romantic lavender dress.

“She usually runs around in her nightie,” Nora Johnson said. “It was so beautiful to see her turn into an adult.”

On Their Toes

Inside the Roxbury’s Gothic interiors, which some compared to a hip Haunted Mansion, guests were free to mingle with members of the company.

Paul Kelly, who created the scenery for the production, explained how he devised a way to make large fake flowers bloom on the set.

“Sometimes my best ideas come from a joke. We kept asking ourselves how we could make the buds to blossom. Finally I said, ‘Why don’t we make them inflatable--like Macy’s balloons?’ ” He was kidding--but the idea worked and his blooming buds drew applause.

“I’ve never seen inflatable flowers before--I just wonder how they get the air out of them,” joked Mark Johnson, center board member.

Ballerina Chen, who indulged in the Roxbury’s buffet of sliced roast turkey and pasta after the demanding performance of Clara, said she wasn’t bothered by opening night jitters.

“The music was beautiful; it helps me so much,” she said. “As soon as the music starts, my heart starts beating and it makes me want to dance.”

Because the role of Clara is so strenuous, Chen and four other ballerinas will take turns performing her part during the 13-day engagement. The ballet will continue its run at the Performing Arts Center through Sunday.

Other faces in the crowd: center President Tom Tomlinson, Bjorn Dahlberg, Mary Hendrickson, Sharon Jaquith, Robert and Janet Lind, Peter Ochs, Louis Spisto, Rich and Elaine Steinhoff and Melly Sutherland.