Interpretation of classic “Nutcracker” gives back

By: Alfredo Aparicio/Staff Writer

The story is a timeless classic: a wooden nutcracker comes to life to take a little girl on a magical adventure on Christmas Eve. The tradition, however, is entirely new. The Department of Theatre and School of Music are coming together once again to recreate the magic of “The Nutcracker,” this time in benefit of theater and music student scholarships.

“FIU needs traditions beyond football. We need more cultural traditions that staff, faculty, students and administration can look forward to. I think this is a major obligation that should be expected from all faculty and staff. Students need a school that has tradition. We have to be careful of always looking for the ‘new’ to always see a need for change,” said Phillip Church, an associate professor, who adapted and directed E.T.A. Hoffman’s immortal tale.

The play, which opened last year to packed theaters, will feature a little-known string quartet arrangement by Carlo Matelli, which is performed by the ensemble-in-residence, Amernet String Quartet, and showcase young dancers from the Roxy Performing Arts Center, as well as dramatic scenic backdrops created by middle school art contest winners.

“‘The Nutcracker’ is usually a ballet. This original version incorporates a string quartet arrangement, actors, dancers, and scenic designs by 15 Dade County middle schools, Miami Children’s Hospital, Easter Seals and Miami Coalition for the Homeless,” explained Church. “The concept is my own. Interdisciplinary in nature, the play follows a mandate from President Mark B. Rosenberg to develop projects, on and off campus, that bring disciplines together.”

Marcia Littley, the area coordinator for strings and violinist of the Amernet String Quartet, was immediately captivated by Matelli’s string arrangement which she came upon by chance. “I found it in a box of music my friend gave me which had a sample copy of the music. It’s not published in this country so it’s something that hasn’t been done before.”

Littley’s first performance of the music was during the holiday season eight years ago when she and a friend reached out to the ill and underprivileged in their community — with puppets. The play was revived last year when the string quartet, along with Church, went searching for a project that could be used to support the Haiti relief efforts.

“We performed it at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center Main Stage Theatre, Miami Children’s Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital to great success,” said Littley. “There are many needs in this world, and I think it’s great when theater and music join together to do something that is not only artistically valuable in its own stake, but also socially conscious and contributes toward humanitarian causes.”

The play will be performed on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 609 Brickell Ave., Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Coral Gables Congregational Church, and Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center. The Dec. 8 performance will benefit David Lawrence Jr.’s Children’s Movement of Florida, and the Dec. 10 proceeds will go toward funding student scholarships in the School of Music and Department of Theatre.

Tickets will be $10 for general admission, and they can be purchased online at http://music.fiu.edu. The idea began during this year’s Alternative Theatre Festival on campus.

“We are still a young enough university, and every university is striving to build a scholarship base. For me, it’s a very valuable experience and something which sets the outlook and hopefully will inspire other such activities around campus of which there are already many,” Littley said.

The cast, led by Jair Bula, a senior and theater major, as Drosselmeier, Marie and Fritz’s godfather, who played Esteban Trueba in “The House of the Spirits,” will also feature Tatiana Pandiani and Jason Caceres as Clara and Fritz, respectively.

Pandiani, a junior and performance major, who was involved with the production last year, is excited to be involved with the project again this year. “I specifically enjoy this performance because it is for a good cause and it’s always inspiring to communicate with the community with the art I do. It’s becoming a tradition I’d love to do again next year.”

Caceres, a senior and theater major, who will also take on the role of the Nutcracker, remembers the joy he brought to the children in the hospitals of Miami during last year’s performances. “I love being a part of this because it reached out to children who are sick and can’t leave the hospital. There was nothing like seeing the faces of the children that we performed for light up at our expressions and gestures.”

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