December 30, 2009 by Bruce Hembd
Backstage: Angels Seen on High
During Arizona Opera productions I like to regress to the green room of symphony hall to relax. During an intermission break at a recent Nutcracker production in the same hall I was surprised to find the same room being used as a preparation area for Christmas angels.
I snapped this quick photo of the scene:
(Notice the rack of wings in the left background.)
To keep track of all the angels (and all the other dancers) the ballet company brings its own portable check-in office. It gets delivered via truck and forklift to the loading dock area.
Playing the Nutcracker is an annual/semi-annual event for me. While the composition was reportedly one of Tchaikovsky’s least favorite, I enjoy it and never tire of performing it.
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