Since writing multiple posts about the veritable mine field that is the snow scene in “The Nutcracker”, there has barely been a performance that a flake has not found its way into my eye (we’re talking so in there that it disintegrated before I managed to get it out), or lodged in the back of my throat. We even had a show where the trap door in the floor that the tree comes out of did not get into place properly, leaving a panel of stage that had a 1 inch dip. Yikes. Guess I better watch what I say, or at least save it until AFTER Nutcracker is over.

This is the first thing that happens during the intermission. The stage crew sweeps the flakes into barrels so they can be dumped again. Does it concern anyone else that the stage guys are wearing dust masks as they do this?