19 replies to this topic

[perky]

I had read somewhere of the change at one time to Sugar Plum having four cavaliers instead of one. I can't imagine how jarring that must have been! The little tweaks and experiments over the years that Balanchine made to this production are facinating.
It seems so strange to compare how many principals the company had at that time compared to now. Of course, they had a much smaller season and repetory then.
Maybe I'm easily amused but I also love seeing the old advertisements as well. TransAtlantic voyage anyone?
I would really love to see more of these old programs posted if you have anymore RG. Thank you for posting this one.

[Mel Johnson]

Wait... Parrots?....

Yep. The kids were got up in fanciful parrot duds with little beaks and tails. They must have been from New Zealand, as their behavior was rather like that of lap dogs than parrots, like the (flightless) New Zealand kakapo.

[emilienne]

I had read somewhere of the change at one time to Sugar Plum having four cavaliers instead of one. I can't imagine how jarring that must have been! The little tweaks and experiments over the years that Balanchine made to this production are facinating.
It seems so strange to compare how many principals the company had at that time compared to now. Of course, they had a much smaller season and repetory then.
Maybe I'm easily amused but I also love seeing the old advertisements as well. TransAtlantic voyage anyone?
I would really love to see more of these old programs posted if you have anymore RG. Thank you for posting this one.

Four cavaliers, as in the Rose Adagio? Or the pas de deux avec quatre as in the Vainonen Sugarplum pdd?

Beautiful program - I enjoyed the liquor ads immensely.

[bart]

Beautiful program - I enjoyed the liquor ads immensely.

And the Cunard ads. "Getting there is half the fun."

[rg]

a 1954 illustration from MUSICAL AMERICA for a report on the first season of Balanchine's NUTCRACKCER.
i'm unfamiliar w/ the intial design scheme by Horace Armistead, with its unfolding tree, so this helps me imagine what the production looked like before Ter-Arutunian's designs came into the picture.
interesting to see that the enlarged windows and toy cabinet in the latter designs repeat much of what was in place initially.

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