I missed the Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker this year, since I was in Atlanta. But, handily, we go to see the American Ballet Theatre’s production tonight.

We totally score on parking, just a few blocks away, 750 meters from the front door according to my geeky measuring using Google Earth. On the way, we come across a young couple who seem maybe lost. I love giving people directions, so I ask if they need help finding something. The woman asks, Where’s the Kennedy Center? Oh, well, it’s that enormous brightly lit building at the end of the street, I tell them. We’re going there. Follow us.

I kinda expect that we’ll walk together and chat, but the man, yakking on a cell phone, seems to have no interest in us or walking with us. Seems to have not a whole lot of interest with his charming companion either. A shame. I at least get out of her that they’re going to the NSO performing Handel’s Messiah.

We have our usual seats, although the people who normally sit to our right have pawned their tickets off to their daughter and son-in-law.

It’s interesting seeing someone else do Nutcracker, after having only seen Washington Ballet’s version. It’s still not the most remarkable of works. Too much party scene. Mice and soldiers fighting. I kinda miss Washington Ballet’s Clara throwing her shoe at the Rat King. Here Clara distracts him so that the Nutcracker Prince can stab him with his sword. The Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, and Russian dances are pretty unmemorable. I miss the Washington Ballet’s Anacostia Indians and the Chinese dancers’ long streamers.

But Xiomara Reyes as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Herman Cornejo as her consort really do shine. Seems like that’s what the whole night is really for, the two of them.