Once upon a time, before there was Black Friday, the holiday season began with “The Nutcracker.” Like an old friend, it still visits every year. And though there are versions upon versions of it, set anywhere from the White House to a sex club, George Balanchine’s beloved production — which turns 60 next year — is the one New York City kids were raised on. One of the joys of the season is introducing a new generation to the spun-sugar Tchaikovsky score and the magical growing Christmas tree.
The girl-meets-Nutcracker plot is easy to follow: Young Marie gets the titular toy at her family’s Christmas party. But in the night, the Nutcracker transforms to get embroiled in a battle with mice, and only vanquishes their king with Marie’s aid. A journey through magical snow to a Land of Sweets ushers in Balanchine’s glorious dances, as kaleidoscopic as any Busby Berkeley film.
As warmly familiar as the ballet is, Friday’s opening night yielded a surprise: Teresa Reichlen pinch-hitting as the Dewdrop for Sara Mearns, who was sidelined with a minor injury. Reichlen’s no novice; she’s danced that part for close to a decade. She glinted like a spray of water as she came sailing in with her leg shooting out in front of her.
But the head honcho is the Sugarplum Fairy, Megan Fairchild. She was lovely in her solo — she turned as if she were on ball bearings, yet her musical phrasing was anything but mechanical. Alas, when partnered with Joaquin De Luz, she drew the short end of the candy cane: Though she’s the company’s shortest female principal, she’s still too tall for him. He lifted her overhead valiantly, but she had to do most of the tricky balances on her own.
This year, even the kids are seasoned vets. Rommie Tomasini, 10, first played the heroine last year. Her Marie is a tough cookie. She defeated her brother Fritz in a squabble with the same determination — and strong throwing arm — she used in pasting the Mouse King with her shoe.
As her sibling, F. Henry Berlin has grown — and grown up — since last year. At the ripe old age of 11, he’s acquired the long, lean body of a dancer and has become less of a hellraiser. He seemed to regret pushing his sister or breaking her Nutcracker even as he did so.
There are several casts, so even if you’ve been there and done that, there’s someone new to see — a whole crop of debuts are scheduled for the Dec. 15 matinee. But the charm of Balanchine’s version of “The Nutcracker” is its innocence. From the party through the Land of Sweets, it’s not a dream of a perfect childhood . . . just a happy one. And that may be the greatest fantasy of all.
New York City Ballet. David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center; 212-496-0600. Through Jan. 4. Running time: 120 minutes, one intermission.