Now Streaming! Filmmaker Dierdre Timmons Captures the Magic of the Grown-Up Holiday Tradition from Seattle Producers Verlaine & McCann in New Documentary
Take an irresistible journey behind the velvet curtain and follow the creators of Seattle’s most glamorous holiday tradition in Creating Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker, the award-winning documentary from Seattle filmmaker, Deirdre Timmons. The film, more than a year in the making, is an intimate look into the process of creating Seattle’s all-out smash wintertime hit, Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker. The film takes viewers on a journey with creator/producers, Lily Verlaine (artistic director, choreographer) and Jasper McCann (music director, script, and lyrics), and the artisans, performers, and musicians that bring this magical show to the stage, snow and all. "Creating Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker" is now available for streaming online at LandoftheSweets.com.
The classic 1892 Nutcracker Ballet grows up in this spectacular re-imagination that blends burlesque, ballet, jazz, comedy and a whole lot of glamour. The documentary premiered in July 2020 at the Dance on Camera Film Festival in New York, continues to be screened at film festivals around the world, and has received a number of honors including:
Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards - Best Director Documentary Short, Deirdre Allen Timmons
Vegas Movie Awards - Best Documentary Short
IndieFEST Film Awards - Best Documentary Short
Dance on Camera Festival Official Selection
IndieX Film Fest - Best Short Documentary
Independent Shorts Awards - Best Documentary Short
Top Indie Film Awards - Best Editing
WRPN Women’s International Film Festival - Outstanding Excellence
Verlaine and McCann are well-loved in Seattle for giving the traditional Nutcracker ballet a bawdy makeover – with a jazzy twist! The stage production features professional dance talent, a live 9-piece jazz orchestra, opulent bespoke costuming by Stephanie Seymour and original choreography from the classically-trained burlesque superstar Lily Verlaine. Musical Director Jasper McCann collaborated with local musicians Kate Olson (Seattle Rock Orchestra; Seattle Jazz Composer's Ensemble) and Michael Owcharuk (Seattle Jazz Composer’s Ensemble; Book-It; 14/48 Project), to compose and arrange the all-original score and the orchestra is comprised of Seattle’s finest improvisational jazz musicians.
The live orchestra (dubbed “The Nutcracker Nonette” by McCann) features Kate Olson (Band Leader) on Woodwinds; Michael Owcharuk on Piano; Dave Pascal on Bass; J. Park Evans on guitar; Eric Eagle on Percussion; Dexter Stevens on Woodwinds; Robert Beasley on Trumpet; Naomi Siegel on Trombone; and Josiah Boothby on French Horn.
The Land of the Sweets cast features Lily Verlaine as The Countess of Coffee, The Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Prima Calla Lily; Jasper McCann as Charles Drosselmingus; Paris Original as Tea Twin and Peacock; Tory Peil as Hot Chocolate, Volga-Gal, and Snowflake; Trojan Original as King Of The Rats, Coco the Toreador, and Volga-Guy; Babette La Fave as The Sleepytime Reveler and Snowflake; Red Delicious as Tulips The Housekeeper; Dreamy Tangerine as Janet the Snowflake; Moscato Extatique as Rosette the Snowflake; Alice Cao as Marzi the Shepherdess and Tea Twin; Elektra Luxe as Crystalina the Snowflake: Fair Elise as Petal; Tova de Luna as The Aerial Angel; Marissa Quimby as Volga Gal and Snowflake; Adrian Hoffman as Peacock and Volga Guy, and Iona Rose as Petal.
ABOUT DIERDRE TIMMONS (FILMMAKER)
Deirdre Timmons has been a writer for thirty years. Her work has spanned newspaper reporting, magazine writing, Internet editing and screen writing. Timmons produced and directed the burlesque documentary “A Wink and a Smile,” which premiered at SIFF in 2007. She published her debut memoir about surviving brain cancer, “Brain Candy,“ in 2019. A graduate of Smith College, Timmons now lives in Seattle.
ABOUT LILY VERLAINE
“A living, breathing work of art,” Lily Verlaine is the performance persona of Rachel Gourd, a classical ballet dancer, feminist theorist, visual artist, writer, and burlesque artist. She has studied at San Francisco Ballet and other notable schools with some of the most beloved names in ballet including David Howard, Laryssa Sklyanskaya, Gelsey Kirkland, and is currently the private student of Bruce Wells in Seattle, Washington. She holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Minnesota in the self-designed BA Women in the Creative Arts. She has served as Artistic Director, Co-Producer, and Choreographer of Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker (2006), Through The Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice In Wonderland (2009), L’Histoire de Melody Nelson (2010), Burlesco DiVino: Wine in Rome (2012), and Visions of Sugarplums: A Burlesque Nutcracker (2014). She is the founder and artistic director of House of Verlaine: An Exquisite Assemblage of Daring Classical Artists, which presents classical ballet through a hedonistic, feminist lens.
She has performed as a soloist in Europe, Asia, Australia, Los Angeles, New York, New Zealand, Chicago, at The Portland Art Museum, and accepts commissions worldwide.
Her international influence continues to expand in the wake of her award-winning performances at The Burlesque Hall of Fame Tournament of Tease, headlining the 2016 Berlin Burlesque Festival, appearances at high-profile charity events in Hong Kong and through the worldwide distribution of the documentary “A Wink and a Smile”, a film by Deirdre Timmons.
Lily is also the face of The Mortal Vintner's 2012 Lily Verlaine Viognier.
ABOUT JASPER MCCANN
Mr. McCann is a jack-of-all-trades entertainer, musician, composer, writer, and humorist. He is the Co-Producer, Musical Director, Associate Artistic Director, Writer, and Lyricist of Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker, Through The Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice In Wonderland, Burlesco DiVino: Wine In Rome, Hotel NoTél, The Double-Down Burlesque Revue, and A Night To Remember: Corsages, Cake, and Cabaret. He has been a vocal and instrumental musician all his life, and studied Operatic Vocal Performance at the University of Kansas for 2 years before graduating with two honors degrees in Literature and Language. While primarily a singer, he has at times played trumpet, guitar, and drums in varying capacities. In the past few years, his primary artistic focus has been music composition and arrangement, which has led to the addition of live music performance in Verlaine & McCann productions.
He has hosted events for prominent philanthropic organizations such as Artist’s Trust, Sunflower Children, Treehouse4Kids, The Seattle Improvisational Dance Festival, The Benevolent Guild, and The Bridge School, as well as numerous burlesque and variety shows since 2005.
Mr. McCann is building a growing resume of voice-over and screen performances, most recently voicing characters on the PBS series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” inspired by the work of Mr. Fred Rogers.
He is currently writing a guide on mid-century etiquette and style, has begun work on his first musical, and is now the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, lyricist, and primary songwriter of the “swingasurfajazzabilly” band The Pornadoes.