A Holiday Tradition

Last night, Anh & I took Jax to see The Nutcracker. Not only was it Jax's first time seeing this holiday classic, it was our little friend Hayden's opening night performance as Little Snow. She did a wonderful job, and I think it's probably safe to assume that we'll be seeing Hayden on stage a lot in the future. The girl likes being in the spotlight, and that's not a bad thing.Jax also seemed to get caught up in the magic. Minutes into the opening scene, he was up & out of seat dancing along. Since we were in the front row, I told him it would be best to leave the performing to those on stage. We wouldn't want to steal anything away from their months of hard work. Luckily, Jax understood and watched the rest of the production with remarkable restraint.The show did deviate a bit from the classic story because it included some religious content. The director's version incorporated the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus which seemed a bit out of place when you consider the fact that at Christmas we're celebrating the birth of Jesus. So, I'm not really sure I appreciated the artistic liberties that the director took with the production. If they wanted to incorporate the story of Jesus, I think focusing on the Nativity would have been a better choice. Oh well! I guess the arts are meant to stir controversy on occasion.
The important thing is that the production, liberties included, gave each of the performers a chance to showcase their talents for their friends and family, and therefore, it was a great opening night! Congratulations on a job well done, Hayden!