Ballet West’s classic ‘Nutcracker’ feels new again with dramatic makeover

As Ballet West debuted its $3 million makeover of costumes and sets of its beloved “Nutcracker” by founder Willam Christensen, theatergoers reacted with the kind of enthusiasm typically reserved for a brand-new ballet — and in fact this production felt like all that was old is new again.Act I opens on a wintry Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum family holiday party. The new set begins with a big-picture view of the street that lifts away to place us outside the Stahlbaums’ fr