To see "The Nutcracker" at the House Theatre of Chicago

Last night I went to a play called "The Nutcracker." My ticket looked like a bell and it was an ornament for our Christmas tree.  In the theatre it looked like a Christmas tree. When I walked in the theatre Hugo (Andrew Lund) was talking to me and told me and mommy to sit in the black seats because they were the best seats in the theatre.  The stage had a Christmas tree in the middle of the theater. There were presents under the tree and five white window doors and I saw pictures hanging on the walls. The pictures were of the whole family: Mom and Dad, Clara and her brother Fritz.

At the beginning of the play the officer came and told everyone that Fritz had died. And everyone was very sad because when they saw the flag and the sword they took it and then they were crying and they took the Christmas tree away. And I saw them put the Christmas tree behind me off the stage.  Then I think it was another year when Drosselmyer (James Houton) came back for the party but they didn't have a Christmas party. The mommy  (Marika Mashburn) and daddy (Abu Ansari) didn't want to have a party because they were still sad because Fritz died. But Clara (Jaclyn Hennell) was sad that there wasn't a party.  And then Drosselmyer gave Clara the nutcracker that looked like Fritz.  And then Fritz (Desmond Gray) came ALIVE to help Clara and her family celebrate Christmas and get the RATS!

I really loved the part when Chris Matthews played the monkey and they were in line and he was screaming and going "Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh!!!!!" and everyone else was saying "Shhhh! Shhhh! Shhhh! Shhh!" That part was really funny! And  when the rats were done singing their song The Really Quite Scary Rat (Houton) screamed HI!!!! And that was funny. And I really loved playing in snow on the stage after the first act.

There was one really scary part with really really really big Rats and when they looked at mommy and me I thought I might be scared but then I thought "you don't want to eat me because I'm not in the play!" And then it was good. When the Rat king was coming the doors and the pictures and the walls broke apart and I don't know why they were still like that at the very end of the play. I wanted them to get fixed again.

I think kids like my friend Jo should go see this play because its fun to see scary things sometimes. I think Jordan and Jaspar might like this play because they are excited about Christmas just like me, and this play has a lot of Christmas in it.  Don't go to this show if you get scared of things because there are scary parts.

-Love Gunnar