Last week I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see The Nutcracker ballet at Tivoli. I felt myself extremely lucky – seeing The Nutcracker in the lead up to Christmas is a must, and to see it in Tivoli just added an extra sparkle to the occasion.
Your ticket gives you entry to the park itself, so I’d suggest arriving an hour or two early and enjoying the fabulous Christmas market beforehand.
Read More: Tivoli, the queen and the Nutcracker: what could be more festive and Danish?
Tivoli a magical setting
So, what about the ballet itself? The Nutcracker is a simply wonderful ballet, and what makes this adaptation particularly magical is that they have managed to intertwine Tivoli into the ballet itself.
As we witness the dream of Clara the main character, she and her friends fly away in a hot air balloon over what we can all recognise as the Copenhagen skyline, and much of her dream takes place in Tivoli.
Another aspect that makes this production extra special is that the Danish queen, Dronning Magrethe, has designed both the set and the costumes.
Read more: Wouldn't be Christmas without the Nutcracker
How dare you, commoner!
The whole experience was only temporarily overshadowed by my earlier attendance at the show’s press conference.
I was given the opportunity to ask a question to the queen herself. Being brave/stupid, I attempted to impress the queen by asking the question in Danish (at this point I should point out that I am not a native Danish speaker).
The queen answered very graciously, and I was rather pleased with myself – until, that is, a Danish journalist verbally attacked me, claiming that I had been extremely rude. I had unwittingly addressed Her Majesty using the informal ‘du’ instead of the more polite ‘de’. Oh dear, I guess there goes my chance of dual citizenship!
The queen didn't know where to look following the Copenhagen Post's question (photo: Hasse Ferrold)
Simply stunning snowflakes
My daughter was with me and had never seen The Nutracker before. I was extremely interested in her impressions. She was simply awestruck, especially in the part where the Snow Queen danced with the snowflakes, but who wasn’t? They’d even arranged for snow to be falling on top of the ballerinas while they jetéd and pirouetted around!
It was exceptionally beautiful. Queen Magrethe’s costumes for the snowflakes were perfect – their tutus were covered in little white pom-poms. They also suited the light-hearted theme that was apparent throughout the ballet. My suggestion: book your tickets now.
The Nutcracker
until Dec 28; Tivolis Koncertsal, Cph V; 250-515kr; tivoli.dk
