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Nutcrackers Across Canada Daily Arts Alert ... by Cathleen Bond Thursday Dec. 7 The next couple of days you're going to be treated to all manner of cultural updates from around the county. After all, 'tis the season to make merry. Today we're going to check out some traditional seasonal fare.
I haven't heard too much scuttlebutt about controversial productions scheduled for this season, but The Nutcracker is just getting ready to open and the reviews will soon be coming in. Here are the venues and dates that I've found thu far:
Dec. 8 - 10 - Vancouver Queen Elizabeth Theatre (604) 280-3311
Dec. 14 - 16 Surrey Arts Centre Theatre (604) 501-5566
Dec. 13 - 17 Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton (780) 451-8000
Dec. 20 to 29 Winnipeg
Dec. 7 - 10 - Ottawa National Arts Centre (613) 755-1111
Dec. 9 to 30 Toronto The big cheese of the National Ballet, James Kudelka, "has re-imagined F.T.A. Hoffmann's tale, enhancing its traditional magic with a new and distinctively Russian country setting. Mr. Loquasto's designs, inspired by Russian drawings, create a huge barn on a country estate, its doors opening onto a frozen pond. Moving from the animal-filled barn through silver birches, to the lavish exoticism of the golden palace and the Faberge egg of the Sugar Plum Fairy, The Nutcracker's designs are full of references to Tsarist Russia." Clearly Kudelka is taking the completely opposite tack of his colleagues in Winnipeg. Me thinks it leaves no doubt as to what he thought of the RWB's Canadianization of this Russian classic. Wow! What a lot of Nutcracker and so little time. What do you think? Do you like your Nutcracker nouveau Canadian or classical Russian? Will you be attending? What's your favourite bit of traditional music? We'll keep you posted as more Nutcrackers come on the boards. Or feel free to let us know about a one coming to a theatre near you. Cello Time: If you like your music a bit more high on the brow, Roy Thomson Hall is offering an incredible double feature. Pianist Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, "two of the music world's strongest artistic personalities" will be performing a live recital. While this isn't an inexpensive outing (the tickets run from $50 to $150) I'm sure you'll never forget the show.
Dec. 7 - Toronto Roy Thomson Hall Long & Short: Is the Canadian short story being pushed aside by its more glamorous big sister, the novel? The hot young writer Russell Smith -- who's written in both forms -- tells us all about it. Listen to him on The Arts Today, right after the ten p.m. news (10:30 NT) on CBC Radio One.
Dec. 7 - Toronto (416) 872-4255
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 Updated each weekday by Cathleen Bond ... bookmark this page and come back for the latest news, reviews and gossip on the Canadian arts scene. RECENT FEATURES: >> Bruce Mau: Big designs in LifeStyle >> Robert Service: Musical tribute to a Canadian hero >> Circle of Trees: Art and nature come full circle >> Atwood: The critics and The Blind Assassin >> Public Art: Who decides what art will fill our civic spaces and expand our imagination? >> Public Art: Who decides what art will fill our civic spaces and expand our imagination? >> Mags & Zines: A review of the best in Canadian arts publications. >> Digital Art: Clickable Cancon, a quick tour of the latest in digital art. >>
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Before diving into the Hogtown scene, first stop a definitive holiday classic, The Nutcracker. Last year's big story was the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's controversial take on this well-loved, timeworn tale. The RWB decided to give The Nutcracker a distinctly Canadian feel and used Canuck leitmotifs such as hockey rinks and mounties. The RWB took their show on the road and the reviews were incredibly disparate. Some loved it. Others hated it. But it always filled the seats.
And finally: 
Twenty clicks through Canadian culture: Test your memory, from Anne
of Green Gables to Shift.