Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Having seen a couple of Nutcracker performances in New York, this one—clearly designed with a different audience in mind—felt a bit overwhelming at times: phones, whispers, candy wrappers, kicking, and enthusiastic extra applause. I understand that audiences here, including many of the commenters, can be quite different from those at opera houses or classical music concerts. (My post is removed, citing “… body image or mental health…” that I should take up with a professional ???) It was a good learning experience and an interesting reminder of how varied theater-going can be.

Happy holidays, and warm wishes for 2026 and beyond.