Imagine the story of the well-loved tale of The Nutcracker retold with illusions, special effects and video animation. That’s what father and daughter magician duo, Lawrence and Priscilla, have done in their latest production, The Nutcracker – A Spectacular Magic Extravaganza, and it was an action packed 75 minutes that was filled with jaw-dropping stunts and non-stop entertainment.
It’s definitely a show that is made for the family. Not only was there lots going on on the stage, the cast made it a point to get off stage and interact with the audience. Characters that came down were dressed as dinosaurs and teddy bears, and the children in the audience couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch them. There were also props that moved from one end of the floor to the other, as well as toys strewn along the aisle that little ones were allowed to take and bring home.
As there is no dialogue throughout the entire performance, the show can be slightly tough for children to follow, especially if they are not familiar with The Nutcracker story. However, the visually stunning sets and costumes made up for it and as an adult, I certainly appreciated the little details that were put into each costume that made it easy to differentiate the key characters, as well as the elaborate designs that went into each set. The use of the coloured lasers added a nice touch to the entire production.
Needless to say, the highlight of the show were the magic illusions and the father-daughter duo did not disappoint, delivering one stunning trick after another. Though this meant that the story became slightly disjointed at times as the illusions would cause a break in the storytelling, hardly anyone was too bothered by it.
Though 75 minutes seemed to be a little long to expect little ones sit still, there wasn’t a whiny kid in sight when we left, and everyone from young to old walked out with big smiles on their faces.
Remember to request for booster seats, similar to those that you will find in cinemas, if your kid might be a little too short to watch the show comfortably too.
The Nutcracker – A Spectacular Magic Extravaganza is showing from now until 1o September. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit nutcracker.gateway.sg.
