Three ballerinas of the performance pose for pictures
The Nutcracker Ballet warms hundreds of hearts
University students enjoy the Oregon Ballet Theatre’s opening night of The Nutcracker
On December 12, 2009, thirty University of Portland students boarded a school bus to head to the much-anticipated Nutcracker. As the big yellow bus drove up to the Keller Auditorium in Downtown Portland the students warmed with excitement. Just two weeks prior to this day dozens lined up in St. Mary’s to claim a ticket. Those who failed to be there at least 20 minutes prior to the 8 am opening would soon find out that there would not be enough tickets for them.
Organized by Student Activities, Eva Hortsch, the administrative program assistant, stated that the Nutcracker tickets “cost $15, but that the school pays for $7 of it,” in hopes that more students will attend.
“Honestly, I would have still gone even if the tickets did cost $15,” attendee Stephanie Doolittle said. “In fact, I bet nearly everyone who went would have paid more…I still would have got up just as early too.”
“I got there 25 minutes early and there were already at least 20 people in line,” attendee Robyn Gentry recalls. “I was fortunate to get a ticket. I’ve wanted to go to the Nutcracker for years. I hear it’s a beautiful performance.”
Beautiful it was according to attendee Krista Morasch, “Although I loved all the Christmas decorations, I especially appreciated the European look of the theater. Everything was lined in gold and red, even the painted curtain on the stage.”
The Keller Auditorium, originally built in 1917, holds nearly three thousand people in the three-tiered room. Upon opening night of The Nutcracker, nearly two-thirds of those seats were filled.
“I felt overwhelmed,” Vicky Morehead, an attendee, said. “There were so many people.”
Many people there were. Hundreds filled the hallway where Christmas decorations loomed. Door greeter Ed Philips said, “It’s expected that opening night will yield a lot of people.”
Upon entering the auditorium, one would see a long line of tickets holders waiting to order a cocktail. On the left side, lied a snack bar. What was in between these two stations, though, was most noteworthy. Straight ahead stood a 10-foot Christmas tree surrounded by characters from The Nutcracker. For $15, one could have their picture taken with a princess ballerina, a nutcracker, and a mouse. Although this would have been a coveted treasure, the price was too steep for the University of Portland students who paid only $8 for their tickets.
As the curtains parted, the audience fell silent. One by one, the children and adult ballerinas floated onto the stage. In the following two hours countless dancers migrated on and off the stage. In Act One, snow fell from above, covering the floor with white flakes.
Doolittle’s favorite part was the snowflake ballerinas. “They were so graceful,” she said. “The best part, though, was when the snow turned into a blizzard. That was spectacular.”
“I was impressed by the children’s agility and poise,” Morasch said. “They never missed a step.”
By the end of the performance, the audience remained silent until the ballerinas returned for applause. Afterwards, the attendees slowly filed out of the auditorium.
“It certainly was packed,” student Marks Combs, said. “Surprisingly…though, it only took a few minutes to get back to the bus after the performance.”
As the crowds flooded from the outside of the auditorium, many lingered behind in the hallways to enjoy their tranquil state for a moment longer. Some rushed outside, into the freezing cold night, to rush the actor’s exit door in hopes of sneaking a peak of the ballerinas. Others picked up last minute souvenirs. The students of UP, though, headed back to their big, yellow bus planted directly in front of the theatre. For only $8 they were able to experience an evening of grace and tranquility. Attendee Jessica Stacey said, “…For less than $10 I had such a great night. I was in no hurry to get back on that frigid bus. The show warmed me from the inside out and I wanted that feeling to last.”
The Nutcracker Admission Ticket
Audience members await in the Keller Auditorium for the start of the performance
Opening curtain of The Nutcracker
