NUTCRACKER

Clearly illustrating that the road to success is rarely a smooth one. Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, his magnum opus, received generally poor reviews after its first performance on December 18th, 1892, in St. Petersburg. Unimpressed Russian critics panned the performance, which ran long past midnight, calling it “insipid,” “lopsided,” and “ponderous.”

At the present day, after more than a century, many people don’t consider Christmas to be truly complete unless they’ve seen at least one ballet.

The story follows Clara, her brother Fritz, and a magical nutcracker that comes to life as they travel from a 19th-century German chateau to the Kingdom of Sweets, a far-off country known as Confiturembourg and ruled by the lovely Sugar Plum Fairy.

Children and adults alike are currently captivated by the kingdom’s residents, who range from China tea dancers and Russian sugar cane dancers to Danish marzipan shepherdesses.

If we didn’t know better, we’d say that lineup of artists reads like the ingredients list for a heavenly, comforting winter tea mix. In his honour, we’ve created a special blend of excellent tea that’s sure to brighten even the darkest days of winter. Starting with a high-end Rooibos base, we’ve added marzipan and fruit flavours before topping it up with delicate snowflake candy quins and small silver balls for a touch of showmanship. This ballet performance is not to be missed for the same reasons.