Letter, Nutcracker Fantasy

Letter, Nutcracker Fantasy

1968

The Nutcracker Fantasy - 1968

Magic is the one thing that one doesn’t quite take seriously, yet deep down inside one always secretly hoped that someday its mysterious fingers will touch the strings of his heart. So with me. Until I saw the Nutcracker Fantasy three years ago; and each year since I’ve fallen in love with it anew. What, except magic, could make me rejoice with happiness for the Silberhaus family, cry with real tears for the vanquished Mouse King and tingle all over at the panorama of dance presented in a simple childhood fairytale? It was magic, I knew, but both black and silver magic. Drosselmeyer wasn’t just a sweet little old man. He perpetrated strange whirlwinds of silver stars and golden rainbows but always combined with the black element of "how does he do it" and "how long will it last?"

So there I was - ready to be caught up by the inevitable magic of the Nutcracker Fantasy in 1968. But wait - this year I became a real part of it - whirling through the magical mists of the Fantasy in person, tasting and feeling the excitement of it, convinced once and for all that its magic is real. As a silly old maid to the Silberhaus family, I kept my eye on Godfather Drosselmeyer as he unfolded the net of mysterious adventures yet to come. Then I was transformed into a big gray mouse out to win from the Nutcracker Prince the right for the Mouse King to rule. But oh - defeat was foredoomed. The lost yet weren't really defeated for the Mouse King watched and waited until he regained his crown.


Then whoosh - no time for tears - instead laughter and wild antics as a mad Mad Russian leaping and jumping and crazily batting myself around! On and on - whirling and dancing with Madame Bonbonniere, the strangest of all of Drosselmeyer's creations.

Until suddenly the black magic overtook the silver and ~~the stars~~ everything dimmed and blurred until I was no more. Drosselmeyer wrinkled his nose and winked his eyes and the fantasy faded and ended. You know, many people thought that it was all a dream; but I know it was real. I ~~be~~ know the magic will be spun again whenever old Drosselmeyer returns. I know because he told me so!