The holiday season is full of tradition — and for many locals, that includes seeing The Nutcracker performed by Oklahoma City Ballet year after year. Between the incomparable score by Tchaikovsky and the illustrative dancing on stage, audiences of all ages are captivated by the classic story of Clara and her toy nutcracker as they battle the Mouse King.
What is it about Oklahoma City Ballet that has guests returning to see this annual treat? While some may argue that ballet is a stagnant art form, OKC Ballet’s artistic director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye continues to re-imagine this timeless tale. “We’re not merely staging a performance; we’re crafting a warm, wholesome holiday story, and a visually stunning masterpiece for our audience,” said Jolicoeur-Nye.
The focus of the ballet continues to be just that: the incredible ballet dancing of both the professional company and students of the Yvonne Chouteau school. But this year, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Devon Energy and The Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will look completely different.
Everything from the sets to props and even the lighting design have been updated for the 2024 season, which begins Saturday, Dec. 14 and runs through Monday, Dec. 23. The Nutcracker will feature new choreography by Jolicoeur-Nye, as well as new characters to accompany Clara along her journey to the magical Land of the Sweets. But the most exciting — and impressive — change to this year’s production is likely the new costumes for the entire cast.
One of the nation’s most notable costume designers, Holly Hynes, created more than 195 costumes for this production. Jolicoeur-Nye worked closely with Hynes, who was the Director of Costumes for the New York City Ballet for 21 years, to hand-design each of these costumes. Hynes then oversaw their construction by different artisans and makers throughout the country.
“The costumes for The Nutcracker will beautifully capture the charm and elegance of 1906 life,” said Hynes. “It’s the timeless story we know, infused with delightful new twists.”
The quality of craftsmanship of the new costumes is unmatched — and we would be remiss if we did not highlight a few artisans who worked on this production. Eric Winterling, Inc. has three decades of executing costumes for the entertainment industry and has created costumes for TV shows such as “The Gilded Age” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” as well as Frozen on Broadway. For The Nutcracker, they created the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, Coffee and the Snow Queen.
John Kristiansen New York, Inc., whose work appears in the movie The Greatest Showman, created several costumes for the ballet’s production, including Drosselmeyer, the Butler and the Street Sweeper. The adult mice, Rat King and his Queen were created by Parson-Meares, a legendary costume house responsible for creating costumes for Hamilton, as well for American Ballet Theatre, City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Other makers, all based in New York, include Brooks/Masline, Colin Davis Jones Studios and Euro Co. Costumes, each with their own impressive resume.
The Nutcracker also features all new puppets which were hand-crafted in Denver by Handsome Little Devils. These master puppet designers have created props for the likes of Usher, Katy Perry and even Cirque du Soleil.
Oklahoma City Ballet has continued to create magic on stage, especially this month with a holiday spectacular. A sensory-friendly version of the production will take place on Dec. 18 that features several accommodations including adjusted lighting and lower sound levels without the use of a live orchestra. For more information, or to purchase tickets to this season’s production of The Nutcracker, visit okcballet.org.
