UTAH REGIONAL BALLET, THE NUTCRACKER, COVEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Dec. 10; through Dec. 20, tickets at 801-852-7007 or www.coveycenter.org

There are many things that could be said as to why The Nutcracker has become such an enduring work and why it has enjoyed such a long tradition in Utah Valley. The appeal it has for me (and one of the successes of this particular performance) is its ability to capture so much of the feeling of a child’s Christmas. The ballet is a phantasmagoria of encounters, with mysterious relatives, run-ins with the supernatural, presentations of marvelous treats and magical presents. I don’t think anything but The Nutcracker distills so well the wonder of those earliest Christmases in a child’s memory.

The production values of this performance were impressive; the sets and costumes were beautiful. More than once I detected audible gasps of excitement from the audience around me. The dancing was heartfelt, as was the music, but neither was perfect.

This was the first performance of a decently long run, so I’m sure some of the less polished passages will improve as the show progresses. There were a few times when the violins or the lower brass struggled to unify themselves, but overall the music was quite moving. I was particularly impressed with the tone of the basses.  Sometimes basses sound like either a gravel mixer or a strained elephant, depending on the register. But the basses in this performance had a miraculously rich timbre throughout. And while I’m commenting on the lower strings, the cellos did a particularly stunning job with their melodic passage in the “Waltz of the Flowers.” It was thrilling when they hit the high notes towards the end of the system.

For the level of quality, these tickets are a steal. This bargain becomes even more apparent when one realizes that there aren’t any bad seats in the Covey Center. I wound up sitting in the back of the orchestra section, but I never felt estranged from the performance. Although the orchestra is smaller, they fill the space without any problem. So if you are thinking of taking the kids, they won’t be at a disadvantage if they are sitting in a less expensive section of the theater. And who better to gently introduce their imaginations into the expanse of classical music than Tchaikovsky?