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L-R: Julie Worden, June Omura, Mark Morris, Lauren Grant. Photo: Susana Millman |
JUNE OMURA (MMDG company member 1988—2008; “Fritz” in The Hard Nut 1994—2015) Once, when the inimitable Peter Wing Healey was injured and the character of Mrs. Stahlbaum had not yet been thrillingly re-created by John Heginbotham, there were two memorable performances of The Hard Nut in Edinburgh when Mark Morris stepped into the role of my mom, uncomfortable high heels and all. Every character in the party scene has a different “track,” and Mark was already in it as a hilariously drunken party guest, so re-learning the scene from such a different perspective had to have been stressful, even for Mark. But after running through it a few times (I remember his directions to “Keep talking!” and “Tell me what to do!”), he was ready to go. I was naughty Fritz, and Mark was now my mother. Scary—for both of us!
The surprise, in performance, was that Mark’s “inner mom” turned out to be so genuinely sweet. Loving, even! Onstage as Fritz, I suddenly felt that no matter how badly I misbehaved, I would be treated with gentle fondness. This Mrs. Stahlbaum loved her troublesome boy unconditionally, and was the kindest parent you’d ever want to grow up with. Now that I am the mother of a darling nine-year-old son, the memory of having once been Mark’s Mrs. Stahlbaum’s little boy is a dear one. I like to imagine that some version of Mark’s mother, Maxine Morris, was worked into his portrayal of Mrs. Stahlbaum, and that, as Fritz, I am experiencing what it was like to be Mark as a son—just as he, perhaps, was experiencing what it might have been like to be Maxine. Every mother, and every son, should get such a chance for perspective.

NOAH VINSON (MMDG company member since 2004; France) I remember my very first performances of Mark Morris’ production of The Hard Nut. These were back in 2002 at BAM. I was extremely nervous when I found out that I would be dancing in the Arabian dance with Mark Morris as the lead. During one performance, something wasn’t right. We were supposed to enter from stage left carrying Mark, but as the music from the previous section was ending, we quickly realized that he was not there. In a panic, we got into position and made our entrance like we were supposed to, but without our lead. Suddenly, Mark came jumping out of the wings from the opposite side of the stage, in full character, as if that’s what he was always meant to do. The nerves quickly changed to excitement, and the thrill of watching Mark in the moment was just one of many wonderful memories I have had performing in The Hard Nut.
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Amber Star Merkens & Noah Vinson. Photo: Susana Millman |
The Hard Nut cracks the Howard Gilman Opera House wide open December 12—20, and great seats are still available.
Reprinted from the Nov. BAMbill.
Reprinted from the Nov. BAMbill.
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