O F T H E PA R T Y
Debbie and Devon Winsor
WL SPONSORED
William Holt, Michael Harreld Jr., Susan and Michael Harreld Sr.
TEA WITH THE NUTCRACKER Jack Valenti, Jan Smith December 10 • The Willard Intercontinental and Sam Donaldson BY DONNA SHOR PHOTOS BY IMMANUEL JAYACHANDRAN
Ali and Elliott Stephanopoulos
Tia Cudahy, Eleanor Walsh, Evie Hardart and Virginia Shore
THE EVENT: For members of Washington’s youngest theater-going set, it was just a hop from the National Theatre and The Washington Ballet’s “Nutcrackerâ€? to the Willard InterContinental Hotel for a special tea party. THE SCENE: A er the enchantment of the shimmering spectacle, small guests found themselves surrounded by dozens of Nutcrackers at the fun-ďŹ lled session of cocoa and cakes. TWB’s imaginative artistic director Septime Webre, by changing the ballet’s Old European se ing to an 1882 Georgetown drawing room, gave the youngsters (and probably a few parents) some instructive glimpses of famed personalities. Webre transformed the heroic Nutcracker into George Washington, and the arch-enemy Mouse King into hated George III of England. With amusing topical comments and historic local ďŹ gures such as the early-se ler Anacostian Indians and the eloquent ex-slave abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, Webre’s version is Washington-themed, even to the anachronistic but beautifully blooming DC cherry trees. Choreographers, conductors, performers—Petipa, Balanchine, Baryshniko, even Disney and Duke Ellington—all had their way with “The Nutcracker,â€? but Webre’s ground breaking vision, while respecting the beloved classic, is wonderfully fresh and innovative. THE GUESTS: Among those accompanied by ospring (or their ospring’s ospring) were Bob Schieer, Gahl Burt, Ali and George Stephanopoulos, Pat Skantze and Jack Evans.
Brooke and April Delaney
Mary Kate Robbett and Alison Smith
Anna Parker and Sarah Glover
Shira Klinger and Scarlett Kao A “Suite� Pair
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WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Christine, Katherine, John and Jack Evans
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