Nutcracker Close-Up
Casey Steps Up as the Man Who Makes the Magic
Casey Kelley has literally grown up in The Nutcracker, starting as a party child in season 2 followed by a turn as Fritz, heroine Clara’s bratty brother, in seasons 4 and 5. Now, in his fourth season as a professional dancer, he’s having the ultimate glow-up – making his first appearance in the role of Drosselmeyer, the dashing uncle whose gift of a magical nutcracker sends Clara on her dream journey.
“It’s been really, really rewarding,” said Casey. “I’m big on character acting, so I like to think back about each company dancer that I’ve seen doing Drosselmeyer, and how they did it. And I would like to take a little piece of it from each of them and make it my own.”
Casey has worked hard to master Drosselmeyer’s signature cape, a floor-length garment that swirls in magical flourishes and sometimes conceals surprises. “In some ways the hardest part of portraying Drosselmeyer is handling the cape!” Casey said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but a good one.”
Although he shares the Drosselmeyer role with Jack Kadzis, Casey’s height – he’s six-feet-four – meant that costume designer Deborah Overturff had to make an extra-long cape just for him. “It’s actually a completely brand-new cape,” he said. “It’s really fun to be able to say I have my own cape in my first time doing the role. That’s pretty cool!”
And there’s one thing he says is even cooler: “When Drosselmeyer calls out the Porcelain Doll in the party scene, you get to see him doing really intricate partnering with a very talented ballet dancer. That’s really exciting!“
Move Fast to Catch the Magic…
Even Uncle Drosselmeyer’s magic can’t stop the best seats from selling out quickly – so act now to get your Nutcracker tickets!
At the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center:
- Saturday, November 22, 2 & 7:30 pm (very limited availability)
- Sunday, November 23, 2 pm (sensory-friendly performance)
At Omaha’s Orpheum Theater:
- Thursday, December 4, 7:30 pm (added by popular demand!)
- Friday, December 5, 7:30 pm
- Saturday, December 6, 2 & 7:30 pm
- Sunday, December 7, 2 pm