Prop-er Pieces
for ‘The Nutcracker’

By Ruth Rovner
For the Times

A holiday tradition begins this weekend, when the Pennsylvania Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. It’s the 39th year that the company is performing George Balanchine’s classic and much-loved ballet.
Each year, it draws a total audience of more than 50,000.
This year, as always, it’s a full-scale spectacle involving more than 40 dancers from the company plus dozens of young dancers getting their first stage experience. Also, the Philadelphia Boys Choir will participate in the enchanting snow scene.
What’s more, the audience this season will see stunning new sets, and almost 200 lavish new costumes. And almost all the props are new, too.
Those props are the domain of Pennsylvania Ballet property master Daniel Amadie. He’s in charge of all props for each ballet the company presents. And props are especially vital in The Nutcracker. What would it be without the gift boxes under the Christmas tree, the hula hoops — the nutcracker itself?
"Every prop is crucial," says Amadie. "If it’s not there, the audience will really notice."
All the props are stored in a warehouse on the 8300 block of Bustleton Ave., where they stay until right before the performances begin.
The Nutcracker requires an unusually large number of props. In all, 50 different types of props are needed, many in multiples; for instance, eight hula hoops, 32 pom-poms, 13 gift boxes.
Preparing for this season’s production, with new costumes and sets, was especially challenging for Amadie, because the props, too, are new. And each one had to be bought or made.
First, Amadie worked closely with designer Peter Horne. They studied photos of the old props, and Horne decided which ones could be the same as the old props and which would be changed.
"We went over every single prop in the entire show to decide what he wanted," says Amadie, who lives in Morrisville, Bucks County.
He then went online to buy what he could — either materials to make props or actual objects. Of course, buying a prop is much easier than making it. But some props were hard to find, like the Victorian dolls used in one scene. Most stores carry only modern toys. Amadie finally located what he wanted in a doll store near Upper Black Eddy.
Production manager Cheryl Harrison made the trip to buy them. Seven are needed for the scene, but she bought extras just in case any dolls got lost or damaged during performances, which is always a risk with such a large-scale production.
Some props, even after they were bought, needed adjustments to meet the specific needs of the ballet.
For instance, the hula hoops Amadie bought required additional work. They are used in a colorful scene in Act 11 in which the lead dancers do leaps and turns while jumping through the hoops. Because this is the Land of the Sweets, the eight hoops must look like candy canes.
To achieve this look, Amadie placed bright colored tape around each new hoop. Then he wound white tape around it and presto, each one looked like an oversized candy cane!
He also made 13 new gift boxes. These boxes, placed under the glittering Christmas tree, are part of the festive holiday scene in Act 1. But Amadie couldn’t find the right size box, so he had to cut down the boxes he bought, then glue them together and cover them with new materials.
For these props and others, Amadie worked with his assistant, Travis Solomon. They had to make sure every prop was exactly right.
Each prop first needed the approval of artistic director Roy Kaiser. Then the Balanchine Trust — which owns the rights to all the ballets of George Balanchine — had to give its approval.
"These props have to look exactly as Balanchine wanted," says Amadie. "I can’t just replace props my own way."
For each ballet, assembling the props is just one of Amadie’s responsibilities. When rehearsals begin, he’s in charge of getting the props to the Academy of Music. First, he packs them in boxes to be transported by truck. When the truck arrives in Center City, he’s there to supervise the unloading and storage of props.
He changes roles again when rehearsals began. Standing backstage, Amadie watches closely to see that the props are working fine and carefully checks that they’re returned to the right place afterward.
"Every prop has a designated place," says Amadie, who sets up tables backstage and puts labels on each prop.
On opening night, he is again guardian of props, standing at stage right, while Solomon stands at stage left. As the dancers get ready for their entrances, Amadie and Solomon hand them the props.
"It’s a big rush, and we have to make sure everyone has the props they need," says Amadie, who is also there to collect the props when the dancers return.
Keeping track of all these props is quite a challenge, especially in scenes like the fight scene between the toy soldiers and the mice. It involves guns and swords (fake, of course) held by 20 young dancers who play the toy soldiers and 10 who play the mice. When the scene ends, Amadie and Solomon collect all these props from each dancer.
The props master hardly imagined he’d be in such a key role backstage when he first enjoyed The Nutcracker as a kid. His father, Ralph Amadie, was a stagehand at the Academy of Music (now retired), and every year, he took his son to see this holiday classic.
Years later, Amadie landed his first backstage job at what’s now the Tweeter Center — and discovered he loved backstage work.
"I had so much fun on that job that I decided it was going to be my career," he recalls.
He next worked at Quinlan Scenic Studio, building stage sets, and then at the Lights of Liberty Sound and Light Show near Independence Hall, where he handled all the lighting for one of the acts.
Two years later, the position of property master for the Pennsylvania Ballet opened. Amadie eagerly applied.
"It sounded like a fun job — interesting and with a lot of responsibility," he says.
Indeed it is. And it can also be hectic, especially during The Nutcracker run. Starting Friday and continuing through Dec. 31, the company will give 26 performances. Often there are two shows in one day, and even three shows this Saturday and the following Saturday (Dec. 22).
Amadie is responsible for all the props throughout the run, so he hardly has time to sit back and enjoy the beauty and spectacle of The Nutcracker. Instead, the busy props master catches sight of the dancers from his position backstage.
"You just can’t get the full effect when you’re standing on the side of the stage," he says.
But there are always a few times when he can appreciate the full effect.
"During rehearsals, I get to watch one or two shows from out front," he says. "The dancers are amazingly talented. And it always looks fabulous." ••
For tickets to The Nutcracker, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.paballet.org