This year, Somerville Theatre’s “The Slutcracker” will be told in cinematic form.
Due to the spread of the coronavirus, “The Slutcracker,” a retelling of Tchaikovsky’s 1890’s ballet, will be moving to an online platform for the first time. Now in its 13th season, the performance is a feminist take on the classic tale, fusing ballet, burlesque, flamenco, hip-hop, and other dance forms. The satirical parody is directed and choreographed by Lipstick Criminals troupe leader Vanessa White. The new, cinematic rendition of the holiday story, which follows a grown up Clara, will be available for viewers to watch from their homes, this Thanksgiving, and it will feature archival footage from the 2019 season. White said that the production embraces diversity across several spectra.
“The cast is diverse across several axes: we cast performers of different shapes, sizes, colors, genders, abilities, ages (over 18), and talents,” said White, in a press release. “Year to year, the show changes, partly based on who gets cast in a show in a particular season. Sometimes inspiration for a new character, costume, or scene comes from an audition. I give a lot of wiggle room for performers to shape their characters—their diverse experiences bring a richness to both the storytelling and the choreography that a director can’t deliver on their own.”
More information on “The Slutcracker” can be found here:
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