I attended the Placer Theatre Ballet presentation of The Nutcracker last evening. I have three complaints:

My daughter was one of the castmembers; this was the fourth year she performed in this ballet, her first with PTB. Let me describe her experience with director Pat Colgate. During a performance, part of my daughter's costume fell off. Backstage, Colgate screamed that if it happened again, my daughter would be "kicked out" of the performance. Needless to say, my daughter was shocked and hurt, especially since it was an adult's responsibility to affix that part of her costume.
Last night my wife spoke with Colgate to address the threat, and she replied: "It's your first performance with me isn't it... well, you'll learn that I don't really mean it when I say things like that." My interpretation: get over it when I am unsupportive and verbally abusive.
I am disappointed that a mentor like Colgate made the threatening comment in the first place, that she eschewed the chance to apologize, and that she assured us that that kind of behavior should be expected in the future.

I have seen many presentaions of The Nutcracker ballet throughout California, and I must say, PTB's has been the drabbest. Was anyone else bored with the choreography? Even the soundtrack recording sounded like one culled from the bargain rack of a gas station.

Third, I was disheartened to view the program and find that merely 23 donations were made to support PTB. I would expect more contributions in a community home to any number of millionaires and otherwise wealthy people.

Perhaps if more of us supported PTB, they could afford whatever it would take to present a spectacular Nutcracker experience in the future.