Up Close with Cathy Unruh; Chocolate Nutcracker

Oh. The. Family has a special presentation of w. we do YOU Temple St. Petersburg Sarasota. Take the story of a young German girl who dreams of a nutcracker prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads. And you have the holiday classic The Nutcracker. Now move the story ahead 100 plus years. At some jazz music gospel and hip hop. And what do you have. The chocolate Nutcracker. Join us as we hear all about this unique musical coming up. Welcome to up close I'm Kathy on Rue the famous Nutcracker ballet is based on the story The Nutcracker and the king of mice. It was written in 1816 by E.T. Hofmann and the original story is rather morbid and not intended for children. It was

revised into a more child friendly version than famed composer Peter Ticos he was commissioned to score the music for the ballet and it debuted in Russia in 1890 2. The Nutcracker has been updated over the years and most people recognize the seasonal classic with the famous music and those sugar plum fairies. There's also a nutcracker of today with a slightly different spin. Our guest today are the artist behind it. We welcome Laverne Reed and Jay Henson. Thanks Ladies nice to have you here. Of our new created the chocolate Nutcracker. Jay you've worked on the production of the choreography of it here in the Tampa Bay area. How long has this been part of your lives will start with you Laverne. A 15 years. Yeah. And in Los Angeles California. And then it moved. Throughout the United States and landed in. Clearwater and St. Pete Florida. And how did you get involved. Well I was commissioned as a choreographer 10 years ago and I've been with the project ever since.

Now Laverne tell us how you got the idea for this different version of The Nutcracker had you had seen the original Nutcracker as a little girl. And I was born and raised in Philadelphia and I was on scholarship at Pennsylvania Ballet. And when I was a young girl I would I was proficient in the ballet but I could only do the Mysore snow but never the princess or Clara. And I just said you know when I grow up I'm going to write my own version isn't that cracker for kids of color. And so I and I would have the prince princess and Clara. As Hispanic African-American Oriental. You know of color and that's how I. First came up with the year the idea I was a young girl. So you were trying out for the role. Yes. And what was said to you. Well it was said well you know we just have you know a different kind of. It's a philosophy in

mind and but you can do snow. But never Clara. So it was never really you know. The answer that I was too happy about you how did that make you feel. Well it's just inspired me to do my own thing. I love to write is a young girl. And I just said you know Clara can travel to other countries. She can go to Africa she can go to Brazil she can go to Cuba. She can you know so much the Caribbean and so my little wheels started turning at when I was about 13 years old. We should probably just summarize the plot of the of a nutcracker that most of us know at the ballet. So that then those who have not seen it can understand better the difference and that the chocolate Nutcracker tell us briefly the story. Well you know in the original Nutcracker. You know Claire travels to Little Russia and she goes through other lands and she battles the mice King. Wow. And

my Nutcracker Claire descends into a snake pit. In the rain forest and she battles that with the at the Queen COBRA which is you know a fierce snake. So when you come home. Yeah well it starts in Harlem. It's a dream. Just as in the original. But I don't want to give everything away because I want you know I want them to come you know they're just OK but we have to talk about it a little bit of all the cities that will get people to come to the show. So Harlem in the 1950s. Yeah and then she travels well say for instance you know there's the snow ballet. Well I do a star flight where Clair travels and it's a ballet with lights and the kids love it because I mean the whole world seems to spin that all the time the dancers carry lights and it's in the dark so it's absolutely beautiful. And then she travels to the Caribbean and so you

know it's a cultural experience. And then we close the first act with Africa. So I did a doula is our guest artist and Jay Henson is the choreographer for Africa. So tell us a little bit about Africa and that scene. Well of course this one of my favorite things and with Africa Claire comes to a village and so you have the opportunity to experience a village box if you will a box of bars an experience where everyone a village comes together and they share their talents and skills as a community and so everyone becomes a part of the village and so clear comes then you know she was invited to participate and the little children come out and they'll do a welcoming dance and then the rest of the cast will come out and participate in a dance of happiness and good fortune. And all of the dances and everything that you're doing me. It's been about three months learning the choreography the history all developing attire is appropriate for that piece.

And we set the choreography and we have don't walk person all kinds of masquerades and so we it's incorporated in the in the in that scene. Now also I'm sorry the creation of this whole show. Did you instantly know I'm going to sit down and write this. And well it it evolved from the time I was 13 through adult in my adult life when I had a performing arts school in Los Angeles. A school of about 600 kids and the parents said Oh didn't you say you wanted to do the Nutcracker and. You know in a new version I say yes and they said well we're behind you. Let's do it. So I said they said would you want to call and I said I want to call it the chocolate Nutcracker So that's how it evolved. And you wrote the words. Yes of course. Now the music and the choreography. Where does that come from how did that happen. Well we use the Ellington in

Nutcracker Suite in in the beginning and then we have live drummers for Africa and the Caribbean and Brazil and then the like say for instance jazz land that. So it's half live and have tape. You say what did you do the music yourself also or you know hired someone I hired some I hired like say for instance Jay Henson. It has to music for Africa. And then we use live music for Brazil as well. So you have been and I should clarify before I ask this next question that it's now performed all over the country coast different cities so it's in some cities it's become a classic of the season also. And because it's in all these different cities you work with it in Tampa Bay. Yeah. What were you involved also in the original choreography and creation of the music. I know in the original choreography Well I just came on board 10 years ago. This is one to year. But for our piece of the production

Yes I was involved in the music in the original choreography which we are now sharing in Ohio and Orlando other places that were performing the project. And this was first staged as we said in 1903. Yes and USC. Yes. At the boulevard. Yes. Right there. How long you been trying to get it to the stage. All from 13 to 20 years 20 years so you had been going and saying here's a play I'd like to stage it. Yes. And meeting with what kind of reaction. Oh I see. This show is so expansive because I didn't want to do it unless I could you know have you know backdrops and set pieces and really bring professional theatre to communities because this is a community project so I go to different cities and I I utilize kids that have really never even seen a ballet. And what we do is we go into the community.

We train the kids and then we bring professionals in so they can see that they can aspire to oh I want to do that or wow look at that professional dancer dude 10 peer away. I was so that that's the whole purpose of the piece and the history here in tampa bay of the production how long as we have been seeing in Tampa Bay 10 years is the tenth year in eight years. Hall and last year and this year is going to be a Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. And let's talk a little bit about the choreography the music it has a little bit of something for everyone there's ballet jazz gospel. Tap hip hop. Well there's also a ballet and. Modern dance. So there's a song but just Caribbean so you get a whole mixture of different jobs as the actual bunch that need for

it you know the project evolves every year so we're constantly fine tuning and adding you know different ideas than we had last year we had before we had company status performing inside of our Brazilian said it was phenomenal. So you know we're always bringing attention to new genres of dance and performing arts and providing that venue for the youngsters to be exposed to it. And also for the community because it's good to be exposed because in some instances you know they have not seen a lot of these art forms before you know. So it opens the. I don't even know the word that you just said what he said and that's. What is proper to use the vets. It's a dance martial arts that's called Cop boy and it comes from Brazil with this original roots in Africa from Angola and the history behind it is that when the slaves were brought to Brazil they were not allowed to do martial arts so they disguised it

as a day arms and it became a dance art form that's also martial arts and it is a mom as mesmerizing. When you see it is called Cop where the thank you you're welcome. And you said that you as part of an effort to cut production costs initially. You went and got local kids and it's still primarily local kids to become well. Well yes. However we bring in dancers from Dance Theater of Harlem. And Ali we bring in dancers from ballet Hispanic and choreographers complection and. And Broadway dancers say for instance we have Vincent Bingham who is coming in and he was on Broadway with bring in the noise bring the funk with save Ian Glover and say you'll see him in the as the uncle that brings the nutcracker to Claire. And you have auditions in each city where you're going to sit on the production and I would assume that most of the folks who audition are kids who are taking dance they're already involved in some

fashion. Yes right yes. And that's them as this is they've never had a dance class and they've seen the production or they heard about the production and they know it's being conducted on a grassroots level which means you don't have to have any experience you just come as you are and we will train you we will assist you we will provide the skills that you need to be able to perform so a lot of instances you know they just want the opportunity so we have had many people and even adults who have never taken a dance class always wanted to do something like that and be on a performing stage I was so excited about it so they came in they auditioned and three months later they're on the stage and they're this band thing of having a great cause. So what's the age range of the other performers. She's four and above up to. There's no limit. Well who's your oldest performer in the production. She has no money. Well that mean although it would be fair to. Say you're 78 and I think you look.

From Ford to senior citizens from all boards to get away I mean I don't have but I mean we've had we've had grandparents perform at a magazine. Yeah and the bargains in Africa matter fact they take the show every year when they come out most raw for us. OK you know and how many performers are there all together in a production. But 250 250. That's a lot of fans also out of that 250. How many of them have never had a dance class which I would say about 100. Wow. And you never have a failure you can tell from audition whether they're going to be able to pick it up and never have a failure and we even have. Handicapped children we have two performers and wheelchairs that are in the toy scene and the party scene. And we also have led the folk which the kids just love and which is a you know hip hop piece that we did you know I don't know but I've heard about I

don't even know how to do you know my program I hope it's very detailed as she waddled you know so they asked him and it was surely Doris and I'm sure for this it's got to be a true learning experience. Now do you use any of the original Tchaikovsky music. No we don't. So all the music is brand new to this profession. Want to hear a little bit about more about your background. You knew that you were an artist since the age of what I would say about eight years old. I knew I wanted to be in the arts and then but once again I had a scholarship for Pennsylvania Ballet. And then one of my my godmother I danced professionally so she taught me tap and jazz and modern dance and then I went on I graduated from Howard University with a BFA and then I have a Masters a BFA and an. M.A. from George Washington University in dance.

And along the way and she loved for roles. Did you find the same kind of thing that you were finding the Nutcracker or was that an exception. Oh that was an exception because as the years went on you know dance has progressed. And so but at the classical ballet was still very structured. And when this first stage and you I see in 1903 Debbie Allen narrated. Yes. How does it go. Oh it was amazing it was amazing. And even her daughter Vivian who graduated from Fordham University dance. Program. Also was in the production and it was just amazing. This is the only city where we don't narrate. But I think. I think that it would be a nicer addition. Well this is the only city where we don't know. Yes. And why is that. Well because it was just presented as it as a dance piece rather than dance theater. And Ruth Eckerd Hall preferred at that time to just show it as a straight ballet.

So which which they felt would stretch the imaginations more rather than hearing the story they wanted them to envision it and it said it's different. But say for instance in Orlando it's going to be narrated at the Bob Carr in November. And Columbus Ohio it's narrated. So it's something that maybe life force may like to incorporate this year. I would hope the narration. Yeah. At that first performance back at USC which of course included an area yes. Did you have a sold out house. Oh absolutely we. We had four performances sold out completely and the audience couldn't stop clapping I understand yeah. It was just amazing and she has just grown. It's still being performed in. L.A.. And how was that moment for you first production. Spectacular in the sack. Denzel Washington was in the house. I mean it's well you know Los Angeles

many of the stars live there and so it was they just they had never seen anything like it and so it's still live saw and there are all the performances in the productions African-American. Oh no no it's multi-cultural. This is we have it's every nationality you can imagine. So it and it brings communities together. And we have. You know African-Americans Hispanic and. Asian. If. Indian. Kids and Caucasian just it's a mix of beautiful cultural mix because we're traveling the world. It had a melting pot but I think when you hear the name of it the chocolate nut cracker you think it's going to be all African-American y necessarily chocolate or white chocolate. Or are you ok.

Now how did you first hear about this and how did you get involved J. Well a friend of mine was the outreach worker for Ruth Eckerd Hall and she's a dancer Paulette Walker Johnson and she called me and asked if I'd be interested in participating in the project and choreograph and I said sounds like a phenomenal idea both to do it and so I came on board that first year and we had a wonderful performance it was phenomenal to be on stage and looking out into the audience during the performance and seeing people of all ages nationalities sizes standing up screaming like they were at a football game and children that they saw on the stage it just it was wonderful. And it's been like that every year for 10 years now the choreography I'm still struggling without a little bit was created originally in California for that. Reduction obviously. But each city gets to work with their own choreography. Each production troop and city where it's staged by J tourist with me now now i j will be.

I think Jay's going to Ohio and Orlando this year. So so we go there and set the choreography and the company don't go like well come and perform with that community. So it's it's really wonderful because you get a chance for the youngsters to see youngsters and other communities doing the same thing that they're doing and it brings a bonding and an element of unity and it's a great great feeling. So if you went to see the show this year in 10 different cities around America. Yes. Would it be the same choreography and it show. Well 90 percent because say for instance if I went Oh Miami. Say for instance a few years ago when we did the show in Miami we we did Cuba because in Miami the Cuban community is so large that I would have a Cuban choreographer to come in. Well say for instance in Columbus Ohio Mali there you know you've got. That large community

so I give the local choreographers choreographers an opportunity. Sure there are. Choreography is well OK until you mention doing good ole which is a dance troop that you work with on a regular basis correct. Tell us about that. Well doing good ole is a company that I started 16 years ago here in Parnell's County and it consists of about 50 youngsters and adults. It's a semi professional performing company that tours annually nationally and we basically use performing arts as a way to promote diversity and enhance education and life skills development so we have a lot of outreach programs and performances and you know we do workshops and things that nature so the company drummers and dancers they they will assist with the choreography and then also perform with all the different groups. And in the chalk. Not cracker it's not educational for the performers only because they're learning to do the show.

But in some cases they are actually learning about their own heritage. Correct. As you go through countries absolutely yes. And many of them have gone on to perform professionally as well as a complete Boston Conservatory and Juilliard. Just many performing arts. You know university they get highly motivated I mean sometimes you know it's when you're at home and you're performing for your family and for that you know you're really really good but then when you're in a production where you have 200 300 of the children and you're shining you're on stage and your talent is so awesome it's just you know emulating all over the stage and say you know you might think about pursuing this. And a lot of youngsters still continue on when the project is over they'll look for schools they'll get scholarships they'll get all the productions and many have decided you know I always want to do this but now I think I'm really going to pursue foreign arts as a as a career

because that also lets them know that there are so many other. Then news and so many things that you could become a part of in the performing arts you don't necessarily have to be a dancer. There's the stage crew there's the the costume design there's the choreography there's there's just so many other things to do in a production and they're becoming aware of all these things and they're pursuing other careers and going on and doing some wonderful things. So actually changing lives are not giving me head right and occupation for a while for something to do it's they've gone to a New World School of the arts. And you. Had. Many of the universities all call you. Let's talk about the larger world of entertainment just for a moment. Do you feel that all the cultures are adequately represented now in movies stage. I think it's improving. You know it you it's you you always need more job opportunities for. That. And men and women of color you know that it's improving as time goes on.

It's sad and it is improving and also in The Independent realm. You know there have been a lot of great things emerging a lot of great films and opportunities and people are beginning to see each other as people. You know we're kind of getting away from a lot of the old stereotypes and things that I will go on so. And that's important because we're all able to create and bring something to the part and create something you know so much more beautiful than if we were isolated and you know in different cliques in areas so I think that there is growth. And I think there's going to be a lot more wonderful things wonderful productions coming out. Then you know kids of all color they want to go to the theater and be entertained. You know say for instance if you've been dragged to the theater year after year to see to see the same Nutcracker. It's kind of refreshing to see a different twist on it and then say oh and to compare it that's educational as well.

And when you mention that people are starting to see each other as people I'm sitting here effecting that is so true because George Clooney is headlining a movie Denzel Washington's headlining early. You want to see both of them it's not that ones white ones wagging right it would be very much across the U.S. a lot of positive yes happening there. Now what do the two of you do the rest of the year when you're not working on the right cracker and you know first that I know you work with your dad. True right. That was from the director of Lifeforce culture US academy so we have an afterschool program education program we have a summer camp Explorer art summer camp. We are we just recently applied for a school charter educational for our educational program and then a program manager for a program called Be true to you which is a gender specific program in North and South County and we have plenty to do. Yeah and you're a New York Chrisy is what I earned. Yes and you know I've written another play which is charring as well and it's called The

Adventures of Pan which is an urban hip pulp version as a heater and when you look forward to that and we thank you both so much for taking your time you and I when you're looking forward to the show. And if you'd like to see the chocolate Nutcracker it will be performed on December 7th and 8th at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. They'll be a special school performance at 10:30 a.m. on the 7th and the tickets are $8 you can purchase tickets by calling the theater box office at 7 2 7 8 9 2 5 7 6 7 or through Ticketmaster outlets. Thanks for joining us for up close us in next time. Oh. On the next. Up close the magic of the

chocolate Nutcracker. It's not the Nutcracker of your childhood. Cultural changes transformed herself. Its creator was just a teenager when she decided to take the Nutcracker chocolate. We'll tell you why and where you can see it. On the next upload.