The Russian Nutcracker (1996)

WRITTEN BY: Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky, based on a fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffman
PERFORMED AT: Keystone Theater, Towanda, PA and Samuel Clemens Center, Elmira, NY
PERFORMED ON: December 6 (Keystone Theater) and 14-16 (Clemens Center, 4 shows)
DIRECTOR: Rafael Grigorian
SPONSORED BY: Rainbow Dance Arts Company, Elmira
PRINCIPAL CAST (and selected extras):
* HERR DROSSELMEYER/MOUSE KING- Alexandre Chichkov
* MASHA/DREAM PRINCESS- Camcie Bishop
* MAN AT PARTY (#2)- David Alan Scott Jr.
* MAN AT PARTY (#3)- Mike Sherman
* MAN AT PARTY (#4)- Mike Taylor
* WOMAN AT PARTY (#2)- Colleen Hogan
* NUTCRACKER GENERAL/PRINCE- Isaac Campbell (December 6 and 16, 3 shows) and Sergio Neglia (Decmber 14 & 15, 2 shows)

PLOT: A young girl (Camcie Bishop) dreams she is taken to a magical world by a handsome prince (Sergio Neglia). A ballet, based on a fairy tale.

HISTORY: Since plans for CCC's "For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls"--a December one-act I'd already been cast in--had been cancelled, I now had time in my schedule to repeat my parent role in the "Nutcracker" ballet.
Joining me in the show were Mike Sherman, who was in the same show with me last year, and Mike Taylor, who gave me rides to and from most of the rehearsals, and later acted with me in the March '97 CCC production of "Romeo and Juliet".
Like last year, we gave two evening performances at the Clemens Center. But this year, we also performed three abridged versions of the show, with the first one being on a very small stage in Towanda. (These three were the shows in which Isaac, instead of Sergio, played the prince. Sergio was not available for these performances.)

PHOTOS:
* Me in the dressing room with Stephanie Washburn (photo by Isaac Campbell)