Tis the season for nutcracking. You can never have enough Sugar Plum in your life, particularly if you re a four-year-old girl who s fond of whirling around the house in a tutu. No sooner had my daughter Daphne and I come home from the Contra Costa Ballet s charming one-hour Nutcracker than she starting asking when we were going to the holiday ballet again. Enter . It made for a lovely day out at Fort Mason Center. We started out my walking around the docks, watching the sailboats and the gazing at the Golden Gate Bridge and we noshed at the many wonderful food trucks at the Farmer s Market. After the show we even had a pit stop at the Crafts Fair. But the centerpiece of the day was the breezy 50-minute Nutcracker which is very simple and sweet. A small and talented cast (LizAnne Roman Roberts is a stand out) throws their heart into the story, which is told with clarity befitting the target demographic. There s also a very family friendly atmosphere where no one is expected to shush the wee ones and babies who like to work out their lungs are welcome as well. Certainly it s a very tasty treat for the short attention span generation and a nifty way to introduce small children to the wonders of live performance. If the costumes and sets are a little on the minimal side, there s no resisting the joy of hearing a live orchestra glory in the treasures of Tchaikovsky s masterpiece.
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