Is EVERYBODY READY?

ROBERT URICH JOINS THE COMPANY

David & The Duke

David Berger added his own compositions to Duke
Ellingtons Tchaikovsky-inspired "Nutcracker Suite"
to create the score for "The Harlem Nutcracker"

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News

A

THE MUS

NANA VISITOR

VICKI LEWIS

ROBERT URICH

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11/19
1999

86

hile The Harlem
Nutcracker updates
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker
Suite with a story, ballet
and score focusing on an African-
American family, its Jewish co-corn-
poser, musical director and conductor
considers it nonsectarian.
David Berger, who will conduct the
Detroit Opera House performances
Nov. 26-Dec. 5, has been asso-
ciated with the work since the
41(1111
early '70s and is confident that
he's seen the show more than
anybody.
"There's nothing religious
about it although it takes place
at the Christmas season," says
Berger, whose participation
builds on a shorter composition
by Duke Ellington and Billy
Strayhorn. Its about an elderly
grandmother (Clara) at her first
Christmas since her husband's
death as her family's coming to
visit. Other than that, there's
nothing about religion at all.
"It's about her in the present
time, in flashbacks and fantasy
flashbacks. It's really about
what's going on inside her head,
and it's very universal. It's pretty
much a jazz show. "
The classic Nutcracker ballet
follows a little girl, Clara, who is
excited by the wonders of
David Berger: "A friend of mine gave me a copy
Christmas Eve, which includes
of Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite," which had his
the gift of a nutcracker. She
versions of pieces by Tchaikovsky, and I loved it
undertakes a fantastic journey
immediately."
traveling from the Kingdom of
Snow to the Land of Sweets, and
"Over the years, I had other
the fairy tale ends with her marriage to
thoughts about expanding it to a full-
the Nutcracker prince.
length Nutcracker about an American
The Harlem Nutcracker, presented
family. I started working for Wynton
by the Donald Byrd Dance
Marsalis at Lincoln Center in 1988,
Foundation and featuring Donald
and
in 1989, we performed Ellington's
Byrd/The Group, a pioneering New
Nutcracker
Suite. One concert was
York-based dance company, debuted
televised,
and
Donald Byrd became
and
has
toured
nationally
in 1996
very interested and called me. It took
each year during the holiday season.
about three years before he got the
This year's performance also features
money together."
the Sultans of Swing, Berger's 16-piece
Berger, recognized as an authority
orchestra, which first toured with the
on
the music of Duke Ellington and
show during the 1998-99 season.

' 4

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The local production is co-present-
ed with the University Musical Society
and the Arts League of Michigan.
"A friend of mine gave me a copy
of Ellington's Nutcracker Suite, which
had his versions of pieces by
Tchaikovsky, and I loved it immedi-
ately," says Berger, 51, about his early
involvement with the piece. "I was
working for [choreographer] Alvin
Ailey at the time, and we were doing a
lot of Ellington. I suggested that we
do this piece, but he wasn't interested.

G ets

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