¶ The New York City Ballet's version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has become something of a Manhattan institution at Christmas time, and CBS chose it for its only live color broadcast of 1958. Once past the opening scene's heavy-footed family frolic, the production made a softly bright delight of the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Avoiding the tricky camera shifts and closeups that most directors try when televising ballet, Director Ralph Nelson kept the episodes sharp, the camera steady. Result: an overall sense of gaiety and space. High point: Allegra Kent, crisp and crystalline as Dew Drop.
¶ The faces...
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