MUSIC/DANCE : SOUP TO ‘NUTCRACKER’ : In ‘93, Ballet Pacifica Made Do With Post-Fire Production, but This Year’s Has the Works

Ballet Pacifica lost all its sets and costumes--31 years’ worth--in the 1993 Laguna Beach fire but still managed to stage a new “Nutcracker” about six weeks later, thanks to help from companies that ranged from the Aman International Folk Ensemble in Los Angeles to the American Ballet Theatre in New York.

Now it’s ready to present its own complete vision of the holiday favorite, Friday through Dec. 24 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

“Last year, we had to borrow about half the costumes,” said director Molly Lynch. “We are really able to finish it this year. It was great to have had the help, but it’s nice to finish the production with the designs you originally set out to do.”

Costumes for the snow scene and most of the divertissement dances “are all brand new. Plus, we’re adding some things to some of the other costumes. We’re also adding some scenery pieces and doing some repainting work on some of the things in the first act.”

The set designs are by Cliff Faulkner, and the costumes by Shigeru Yaji of South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. Liz Stillwell is the lighting designer.

There will be only a few minor choreographic changes, Lynch said, including “a few things in the snow scene and the party scene.”

“I was trying to clean some things up that I felt weren’t as clear as I felt they could be. Basically, the structure will remain the same.”

Like other “Nutcracker” choreographers, Lynch tries to establish links between the two disparate acts by repeating costume colors and designs.

“Clara sees a lot of things in the party scene that become bigger than life and reappear in the second act. The second act variations--Spanish, Arabian, Chinese and Russian--well, in the first act, the visiting families are Spanish, Chinese and so on. Stylistically, the things they wear we see repeated in the second act.”

People also will see a large cast--about 70, including children.

There are predominantly two casts for the main roles: Sonja Higley alternates with Tracy Thayer as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and James Cameron alternates with Shawn Pace as the Nutcracker Prince. Some of the divertissement dances have three casts.

Since the fire, the company has been able to replace a lot of the costumes it lost.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re bursting our seams a little bit,” Lynch said. “We’re storing costumes in my garage and in the office here. We need to get a facility of some sort to store things.”

* What: Ballet Pacifica dances the “Nutcracker.”

* When: Friday through Sunday, Dec. 16-18, and Dec. 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17 and 18, and Dec. 22, 23 and 24 at 2:30 p.m.

* Where: The Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine.

* Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (405) Freeway to the Jamboree Road exit, head south and turn left onto Campus Drive. The theater is on Campus near Bridge Road, across from the Marketplace.

* Wherewithal: $13 to $16.

* Where to call: (714) 854-4646.

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