The Nutcracker on Ice

Everybody's heard of the Nutcracker, right? Or at least seen some sort of variation of the movie or cartoon? Maybe even seen the ballet? Well, Tonight I witnessed The Nutcracker on Ice at the Montecasino Teatro, and it was Extremely Cool (Excuse the Pun) ...


The production follows the classic Russian tale of Maria, a little girl whose love brings to life her cherished Nutcracker doll — a magical Christmas gift from her mysterious Godfather (Drosselmeyer) — leading her on adventures with the Mouse King, discovering the identity of the Enchanted Prince (The Nutcracker), and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The performance was incredible; it felt as though the cast was born with ice-skates instead of feet and they moved effortlessly and fluidly throughout the performance (I even had moments where I needed to check if the cast was still on skates). The Set and Costumes were Beautiful and Tchaikovsky's Memorable Score overwhelmed me with childhood nostalgia.

I nominate Volodymyr Khodakivskyy (who plays Doctor Pavlov) as Outstanding Performer of the Evening; his movements were flawless and fast-paced and his spins defied most laws of motion and even some laws of gravity.

The Imperial Ice Stars have also cast a South African in their upcoming World Premier of The Nutcracker on Ice — Fiona Kirk, from Cape Town, stars as the aerial gymnast in the show. Fiona is truly an Amazing Entertainer and during her Aerial Performance (with Volodymyr Khodakivskyy) the audience was gasping and clapping and stunned that such moves were even possible wearing ice skates.

Fiona Kirk and Volodymyr Khodakivskyy 

If you are Q-rious for more info on the show or how to get your hands on tickets for the South African Performances, go to Computicket or to the Montecasino Web Page.

The Show is heading to the UK, Australia and New Zealand next, so watch out for it there ... It is definitely a Must-Watch!