DANCE REVIEW : Same ABT ‘Nutcracker,’ Same Problems at Pavilion

Before bringing his new production of the “Nutcracker” to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this week, American Ballet Theatre artistic director Kevin McKenzie tinkered a bit with the work. It didn’t make much difference.

Seen in two performances Thursday, this “Nutcracker” is identical in broad outline and most details to what was seen in the first performances two weeks ago in Orange County. It also remains exceedingly problematic.

Changes were made to speed up pacing and clarify action, and more may occur, according to a company spokesperson. Small details may not be enough, however. For example in the first act, McKenzie has changed the ending of Clara’s Variation and shortened the final scene by half, although it’s difficult to see the differences. More noticeably, in the “Hard Nut Story,” he’s added five rats to accompany the Rat King and facilitate the mask changes, and given the young hero (Drosselmeyer’s son) a period wig. For all that, the audience still needs to read Wendy Wasserstein’s libretto to make sense of the story.

A mix of previously reviewed and different principals are dancing during the Music Center engagement, which runs through Friday. Sandra Brown and Steven Hyde appeared as Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, respectively, for the first time in Los Angeles on Thursday evening.

Brown made a vivacious, sweet and strong-willed Clara, dancing mostly with supple fluency and lyricism, but occasionally with over-deliberation in placement and in connection of phrases.

Hyde, listed as a corps member, made a promising, if cautious and sometimes wooden appearance in this supportive, generally unrewarding role. He looked freer and more confident in his Variation.

Their Sugar Plum Fairy was Susan Jaffe, who danced with regal stillness, purity and poise, and seemed to evoke a cooler, more classical dimension than her colleagues inhabited. She even managed to elicit slower, grander phrasing and tempo from conductor Jack Everly.

Her Cavalier was Jeremy Collins (previously reviewed), who danced the role both in the afternoon and the evening.

Gary Chryst, fondly remembered for his major roles during a decade in the Joffrey Ballet beginning in the late ‘60s, made his first guest appearance with ABT as Drosselmeyer on Thursday afternoon.

A principal with Nederlands Dans Theater since February, Chryst also has been dancing recently in the chorus in several Broadway shows. It seems a rather tough fate for a brilliant and important dancer. . . .

Here, he showed a fine mix of compassion, childlike innocence and distress, but ended both acts with an unusual take on the character. He looked forlorn and crushed, as if mourning Clara’s growth from childhood to adolescence. Strange.

Charles Barker conducted in the afternoon.