Robert Shelley

The interesting thing about The Nutcracker at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine is just how quickly an audience can settle into it, year after year, like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold night. The venue is packed with an audience of all ages, some dressed in their 'night on the town' finery while others sport flannel shirts, jeans and a baseball cap. That's the magic of this production, a full-scale ballet and orchestra that appeals to a wide-ranging audience here in Maine.

Maine State Ballet 's lavish performance annual performance of The Nutcracker at Merrill Auditorium is a sure sign that the Christmas season is upon us, and the 2017 production did not disappoint! Utilizing the resources of the entire company plus scores of other local dancers and extras, Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele once again works magic in this large venue in a performance that fills the house with joy.

Maine State Ballet opens its spring season with an ambitious full-length production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake that offers a compelling account of the timeless Romantic classic and demonstrates how this Maine company continues to grow artistically. Presented several times in the past decade in shortened versions, the current production uses most of the original Marius Petipa choreography with some additional dances by artistic director Linda MacArthur Miele and features lavish and lovely scenic drops and costumes by Gail Csoboth.