Last holiday season, WSBE Rhode Island PBS offered viewers a chance to experience one of Newport’s most cherished holiday traditions, A Newport Nutcracker - but with a twist. Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score,Through Her Eyes – A Newport Nutcracker Reimaginedshares the warmth, joy, and hope at the heart of the holiday tale onDecember 17 at 8 p.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS, digital 36.1.
The original live dance performance represented a unique re-telling of the holiday classic, designed as an interactive experience that moved through the rooms of Rosecliff, one of Newport’s most romantic mansions. Over its 18-year history, the performance became the "must-see" local holiday favorite.
In 2020, however, with in-person performance limited due to the pandemic, the traditional ballet was reimagined as a 30-minute feature filmed at six historic properties of the Preservation Society of Newport County, presented by the Island Moving Company (IMC) and co-produced with Rhode Island PBS.
For this film project, renowned dance filmmaker Marta Renzi directed the film in collaboration with cinematographer Jon Gourlay. Story adaptation, choreography, and staging were designed and directed by Miki Ohlsen, IMC’s artistic director, and Danielle Genest, associate artistic director.
This creative rendition of the classic holiday tale will be followed by Behind the Scenes: Through Her Eyes – A Newport Nutcracker Reimagined at 8:30 p.m. Including interviews with the project’s creators and performers, this companion piece gives viewers an intimate look at the magic behind Through Her Eyes – A Newport Nutcracker Reimagined and the Preservation Society of Newport County properties in the film.
Due to music streaming rights, both the 30-minute feature and the companion piece will be available only on broadcast television.
WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36.