The Long Beach Ballet (LBB) successfully held its annual event “The Nutcracker” Extravaganza during five performances last weekend – complete with numerous artists, magnificent sets, exciting pyrotechnics and of course beautiful ballet dancing.

The conception, direction and choreography of the LBB's artistic director, David Wilcox, shone in this year's production. A humble chimney sweep (Ken Datugan), looking for work in the home of young Clara (played wonderfully by Maeve Callahan) and her family, helps greet party guests on Christmas Eve.

In addition to the full orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's melodic score (excellently conducted by Roger Hickman), what immediately stands out are the highly detailed costumes by a number of designers (Adrian Clarke, Donna Dickens, Ann de Farra, Hilde Byrne and Cheryl Cartwright). Of particular note were the girls' frocks and women's dresses, which were similar in style but featured uniquely charming patterns and textures, as well as lots of bows.

Equally enchanting were the floor-to-ceiling sets (designed by Elliott Hessayon, Rex Heuschkel and Scott Shaffer), with a wall of portraits in Clara's warm family home and a decorated Christmas tree and presents that magically grew as her perspective changed changed from her beloved Nutcracker puppet (a sturdy Benjohn Magcalas) when he came to life to defend her against creepy mice led by a melodramatic Mouse King (Craig Rexroad).

Delzio Design's pyrotechnics surprised during this battle as the Nutcracker and his army fired cannons and muskets with loud bangs and glowing sparks. And when the Nutcracker turned into a prince (Steven Morse), he and Clara rose into the air in a sleigh at the end of the first act, before floating angels opened the second act.

Despite the captivating production, it was the music and ballet dancing that kept the audience's attention. The Long Beach Terrace Theater's acoustics allowed the tunes to resonate loud and clear while remaining sharp. And the many young LBB students and their talented teachers confidently took the stage in their various dances that evoked snow and sweets.

A scene from Long Beach Ballet's “The Nutcracker,” performing Dec. 17-19 at the Terrace Theater. (Photo by Katie Ging)

Megan Wilcox as Sugarplum Fairy stood out for her poise and precision. Her Grand pas de deux with our handsome Nutcracker Prince Morse (from the San Francisco Ballet) was both technically and aesthetically exquisite. Aurora Gray's technique as a dewdrop fairy was also fascinating.

The sporty and exuberant performances of the three Russian dance artists (Alfredo Garcia, Hector Garcia and Magcalas), who stole the show, were extremely graceful, as were two cheerful fools (Aaron Augustin and the young acrobatic Emily Medillin).

If you weren't able to attend LBB's The Nutcracker this year, mark your calendars for December 2022, when LBB will most likely return for its annual performance. In the meantime, a video recording of this year's performance can be rented for $25 or purchased for $50 through the LBB website.gallery” Page.

You can also look forward to this summer's LBB production of Don Quixote, which it describes as “the romantic, crazy adventures of history's most beloved knight!” Based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote of La ManchaThe ballet was originally choreographed in 1869 to the music of Ludwig Minkus by Marius Petipa – who also created the ballet The Nutcracker.

Like “The Nutcracker,” the ballet “Don Quixote” includes a dreamlike adventure, sword fights, fairies and even puppetry. And like “The Nutcracker,” LBB will likely fill the stage with dozens of engaging and graceful performers, beautiful costumes and fun sets, all backed by a live orchestra.

“Don Quixote” is scheduled to be performed on June 4thTh and 5Th at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at 6200 E. Atherton St. on the CSULB campus. Tickets will be available “soon” via LBB websiteLongbeachballet.com.

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NEW YORK — It was a crime of passion, two years in the making, against a scandalous backdrop of illicit sex and deceit: A Queens mom and the local handyman were on-and-off lovers until their final, fatal meeting in the basement of her Tudor-style home.

For Orsolya Gaal, 51, there was no inkling of the horrors ahead when she headed into Manhattan for a Lincoln Center show with friends on Good Friday. A neighbor had earlier spotted the hockey mom, whose husband was out of town, frolicking behind her Forest Hills home with the family dog ​​on a sunny spring afternoon.

Gaal later left the younger of their two sons inside their house on Juno Street and boarded a train for her night out, excited about seeing one of her favorite composers perform. The Hungarian immigrant traveled home the same way, arriving around 11:20 pm and stopping at the Forest Hills Station House gastropub for a nightcap — her favorite, a Moscow mule.

She then made the half-mile walk to her home, arriving around 12:20 am on Saturday, April 16, as her youngest child slept upstairs inside the quiet residence.

The sands in the hour glass of Gaal’s life were about to run out.

Ten minutes later, at around 12:30 am, uninvited guest David Bonola, 44, arrived in the darkness at his longtime lover’s home. He knew his way around from prior amorous visits and odd jobs done around the house over the previous two years, and used a spare house key to slip inside on previous occasions, police said.

Gaal was unpleasantly surprised to see Bonola, 44, the divorced father of two, suddenly appearing in the middle of the night. Her husband and their older son were in Oregon on a tour of potential colleges, and the two lovers stood alone before heading down to the basement, officials said.

A note on the family fridge offered a chilling commentary on their failing romance: “GET A NEW HANDYMAN.”

“We went down to the basement to talk, and it turned into an argument,” Bonola later explained to detectives, according to a law enforcement source.

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The couple’s quarrel quickly escalated into violence, with Bonola ignoring Gaal’s repeated calls to leave before grabbing a steak knife and plunging the blade into the victim over and over and over again, police said.

Gaal’s hands were gashed with defensive injuries from her losing battle for life, with most of her 58 stab wounds inflicted to the neck and upper body, police said.

Bonola stuffed her corpse into a hockey bag belonging to the sleeping boy upstairs.

Four hours elapsed before video collected from the doorbell cameras of neighbors captured the killer dragging the bag with the body down the street, leaving a telltale trail of gore from the home to the spot where Gaal’s body was dumped just outside Forest Park.

Subsequent surveillance video showed Bonola arriving at his home at 6:05 am Saturday, two hours before the victim’s body was discovered by a dog walker in Forest Park.

The gruesome find ignited a full-court law enforcement press as police pieced together the details of the affair and the murder. The duffel bag, authorities later revealed, belonged to the victim’s 13-year-old boy. The teen was initially handcuffed at the family house and led outside as police swarmed the residence on the morning of April 16.

Gaal’s husband, unaware of the carnage back home in Queens, tweeted about his Saturday arrival in Portland, Oregon, with their elder son.

It wasn’t until Wednesday night that police arrested Bonola, whose bandaged hand still bore the wounds of his stabbing spree, authorities said. Bonola claimed the injury came while he was working earlier in the day, but video footage reviewed by detectives showed the cuts occurred before the suspect was taken into custody.

The suspect initially remained calm under police questioning, pushing back against the allegations, according to an NYPD source. Once aware of the damning evidence against him, Bonola matter-of-factly “answered every question,” the source added.

Old Facebook posts detailed the suspected killer’s flirty online compliments to Gaal, with one describing the murder victim as “the most beautiful woman.”

Federal immigration officials also revealed after his arrest that Bonola, a native of Mexico, was living illegally in the city for the last two decades and faced deportation if cleared of the killing.

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