Behind-the-Scenes of The Nutcracker with PNB Production Stage Manager Sandy Barrack
Many people’s favorite Nutcracker moment is an impressive feat of stagecraft, like the tree growing on stage or the snow falling on the dancers. Today on the blog, PNB Production Stage Manager Sandy Barrack takes us behind the scenes for some of these iconic moments. Keep reading to learn about the secret, backstage performance in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®!
Sandy Barrack backstage
First up, Sandy walks us through how snow falls magically onstage. She explains, “Three of the Stagehands who work on the fly rail operate what we call ‘Snow Bags.’” (The fly rail is a rigging system of ropes, pulleys, and counterweights that the stage crew uses to move scenery, lights, curtains, and other elements.) “‘Snow Bags’ are three 50-foot-long pieces of canvas hung above the stage with dozens of holes cut into one side. The props crew fills those with tiny pieces of white paper. When the ‘Snow Bag’ is rocked back and forth, the white paper trickles out through the holes – and like magic, it is snowing onstage! Then during intermission, the three-person props crew must sweep up all that snow, so that when the curtain goes up on Act II, we are in a new magical place.”
The Fly Rail (behind the Mouse King).
Snow falling “magically” onstage
Causing a blizzard is just one Stagehand role. “Some Stagehands make the scenery ‘fly’ up and down. Others are responsible for making sure all of the props – including the magical Nutcracker Doll that Drosselmeier gives to Clara – are in the right place for the dancers at every moment. Three of the Stagehands are Follow Spot Operators. Those three are sitting on a truss way above your heads in the audience keeping a light on the lead dancers, so you can always see everything they do.”
Another favorite Nutcracker moment is when Mother Ginger (and her enormous skirt) emerges from the wings. Have you ever wondered just how she gets into that thing? Sandy says, “It takes five people total (a combination of props and wardrobe crew) to get Mother Ginger into her giant skirt. One of our stagehands designed a contraption that holds up the weight of the skirt while it is being closed up around Mother Ginger. Then, when the Marzipan dance starts (just before Mother Ginger’s number), we lower the weight of the dress onto clips on the special harness the dancer is wearing. The Stage Manager helps guide Mother Ginger into the wing, and then we get the eight Polichinelle kids under the skirt about 45 seconds before her entrance.”
Mother Ginger donning her capacious costume
The Wardrobe crew does more than help Mother Ginger. “There is a team of more than 20 Wardrobe workers at every show. 16 of those people are Dressers. The Dressers help the dancers get into and out of the beautiful costumes you see onstage. The other Wardrobe staff take care of those costumes – adjusting them for different dancers, doing repairs, and keeping the costumes clean.”
In total, there are more than 45 people backstage helping create the magic you see onstage. Sandy says, “If all of us do our jobs right, no one in the audience should ever know we are there.”
