A disclaimer is required here for those who have seen the "Starring Peggy Fleming" advertisements. Peggy Fleming is touring for the first time in four years, and for many people this will be the last chance to see this skating legend live, but she is far from the star, playing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy she is completely absent from the first half of the show.
The star of course is Nicole Bobek, reigning U.S. Ladies Champion, who plays Clara the little girl so enamored by a Nutcracker doll that she is whisked away to his magical kingdom. While the media is hyping Miss Fleming's appearance, Bobek's brilliant performance is going completely unnoticed. That is a terrible shame, I saw the over hyped media star and Olympic Champion Oksansa Baiul in this role last year, and Miss Bobek is every bit as wonderful as Miss Baiul was. Nicole is a sensational actress who simply is Clara, there is never a moment in the show where she is not enmeshed in the character. Her love of the Nutcracker is convincing and adorable to behold, and she should get 6.0's for her pouts. Miss Bobek also does some magnificent skating, her jumps have great height and speed, and when she performs what is clearly the world's greatest spiral it is breathtaking.
Brian Orser, best known for the "Battle of The Brians" at the 1988 Olympics, is a wonderful Dosslemeir. He is gentle and sweetly endearing in his scenes with Nicole, and his skating is elegant and expressive. He performs triple jumps with great ease and his backflips thrilled the crowd U.S. Men's Champion Todd Eldredge plays the role of the Nutcracker Prince. His skating is excellent, his solo features a wonderful triple axel, and he skates with a grace and emotion that is sadly lacking in his current competitive program. There is a lovely spark between Eldredge and Nicole Bobek but it is sadly not used by this show.
The audience sat through the whole of the first act seemingly holding it's breath waiting for Miss Fleming to appear. Unfortunately it is the in the second act that the story of the Nutcracker completely falls apart. The corps of this productions is simply not up to the demands of this show, and the magical trip to Candyland is far to badly skated too be at all magical. There is an uncredited pair that does a very good routine to The Arabian Dance, filled with innovative lifts. The lady half of the pair is also the Snow Flake Queen and she does an admirable job while surrounded by klutzy snowflakes.
Miss Fleming herself is extraordinary. She carries herself like a prima ballerina, her every move is impossibly graceful. Her skating is mesmerizing and she is clearly on a whole other plane from those around her. In place of the Pas De Deux between Clara and The Prince, we get one between Miss Fleming and the male half of the Arabian Pair. It is a lovely routine but it badly cuts into the story.
It is a shame that the producers are only offering Miss Bauil's interpretation of the role on video. Not to take away from either girl's performances, both Baiul and Bobek are exquisitely graceful and completely enchanting in the role of Clara. Unfortunately you are nobody in this business until you have an Olympic Gold Medal around your neck, no matter how brilliantly you skate. Miss Bobek's performance as Clara is one that should not be missed.