Set in the swinging 1970s, The Hard Nut was considered a radical ballet—complete with dancing G.I. Joes and Barbies, drag performers and misbehaving adults—when it was first performed 27 years ago. Now it’s just another quirky holiday tradition in the Bay Area.
While its more traditional forebear, The Nutcracker, may be beloved by generations of families, it’s likely put more than one member of your party to sleep before intermission. “Most Nutcrackers, frankly, are just a snooze fest,” says Hard Nut choreographer Mark Morris. “The Hard Nut is The Nutcracker if it were actually beautiful and interesting and entertaining and tender and funny and scary and filled with love and wasn’t really, really boring and everyone liked it.”
The Hard Nut is based on German author E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story from 1816, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” which was far darker than the mannered, Victorian Nutcracker we’re used to. Set in a kitschy Technicolor suburbia, the show sees party guests dump their coats on the maid (played by Brandon Randolph in drag) and dance the bump, the polka and the Hokey Pokey. They drink heavily and behave badly as the children watch TV. “I wanted the kids to have nothing to do at the party and be as bored as they normally would [be], and the adults [to be] drunk and selfish,” Morris adds.
Photograph: Julieta Cervantes, Courtesy Cal Performances
The ballet’s over-the-top visuals—cartoonist Charles Burns collaborated with Morris on the design and look of the set—is cut with sharp wit and a dark edge. Amazingly, The Hard Nut can be all of these things and also incredibly touching. During “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” the audience becomes enraptured when some 20 pounds of snow falls onto the stage in a beautiful blizzard. Audiences have been known to stand, shout, clap and weep.
This December, for the 28th time, Morris will reprise his role as Dr. Stahlbaum. “There’s only one person who’s been in every show, and that’s me,” he says. “The Hard Nut has been around for longer than most dancers have careers, frankly. Some people have danced in it for 20 years. I won’t tell you which ones because they wear a lot of makeup.”
Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley (510-642-9988, calperformances.org). Dec 15–17, 21–24: Thu–Fri at 8pm; Sat at 2, 8pm; Sun at 3pm. $40–$135.