The Vienna State Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” playing Wednesday, Dec. 2 at The Harbor Theatre is, in a word, gorgeous!

Most everyone knows the story of this classic Christmas fairy tale, performed as a ballet in two acts. Alexandre Dumas Père's adaptation of the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” was set to music by Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa.

The ballet begins outside the Stahlbaum home on Christmas Eve. The family is throwing a Christmas Eve bash and the guests are starting to arrive. The two children of the house, Clara and Fritz, receive gifts from their godfather Drosselmeier, who brings two life-sized dolls - who dance, imagine. He then gives the children - including the guests - a present. Clara’s is a nutcracker and her jealous brother breaks it. But not to worry, their Godfather magically fixes it. Clara becomes overly protective and eventually drifts off to sleep holding on to her nutcracker.

The story from here is her dreams and her nightmares with people she knows playing all the parts - from the Nutcracker, who as the Prince looks like her godfather, to the mice warriors of the Mouse King - the children. Clara and the Nutcracker dance their way through adventures and are at times entertained by characters they meet along the way.

The sets, the costumes, the characterization, and, of course, that divine dancing! 

The lithe and talented ballerina Liudmila Konovalova takes center stage as “Clara,” and Vladimir Shishov portrays the mysterious Drosselmeier and nutcracker-turned-Prince.

Shishov (don’t you just love Russian names, which, by their very nature are romantic and intriguing?) is so very on pointe in every movement and allows his version of the Prince and the Prince’s feelings for Clara to show rather than dancing aloofly, standing by for lifts.

In The Land of Snow, the nutcracker is transformed into The Prince and he and Clara are greeted by dancing snowflakes. This is my absolute favorite scene - for forever - in this ballet! The two dance as one, and through their movements take on an ethereal quality - thank you choreographer Rudolf Nureyev (who has also danced as the Prince during his outstanding career).

While watching this pair dance the Pas De Deaux in the Land of Snow, there were moments I had to remind myself to breathe - particularly right before one of the lifts, which are no small feat no matter how tiny the ballerina.

During the snowflakes’ dance, the presence of angel statues in the background creates a slightly melodramatic and haunting atmosphere. 

Nureyev’s choreography is fleshed out perfectly through this company of magnificent dancers. And, let’s not forget the child dancers! Of varying ages, from maybe eight to early teens, are appropriately animated during their dance scenes. As dashing soldiers for The Prince brandishing bayonets, to creepy mice during the nightmare scene, they are true professionals, always “on” - interacting and keeping their “best foot” forward. 

The costuming in this production is to die for - colorful and uniquely styled.

In fact, there’s really nothing about this production, not to love.

OK, maybe one thing: the doll used for the nutcracker looked like something found backstage as a “stand in,” (so to speak) because the real one had been lost. But, then, what is perfect, anyway?

The Nutcracker screens at 2 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Tickets sold at the door only.

The Harbor Theatre is located at 185 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. For more information, call 207-633-0438 or visit www.harbortheatre.net.