Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The tale of The Nutcracker has been a Christmas staple since it was first written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann under the name of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”
It has been retold and reimagined in many ways – by Alexandre Dumas in 1844; as a two-act classical ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892; and in numerous films from 1940’s Fantasia to 1986’s Nutcracker: The Motion Picture; to 2018’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
It’s been experienced on stages and screens all over the world, but who would have thought it could be performed on a moving train?
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad in Romney thought it could be done and made it a reality for this year’s North Pole Express.
I was lucky to get two tickets for the excursion and took my mom for a journey to the North Pole, which is surprisingly close to Romney.
We arrived early since we’ve never been on the Potomac Eagle and wanted extra time to take in all the extras involved in the Christmas train. At the barn, I went to the stables to “chat with” and pet the camels, goats, sheep and donkey and then we went inside to warm up and listen to live music.
Outside, there was a fire pit where visitors could roast marshmallows and warm themselves.
When we went to line up for the train, the earlier excursion returned, and we watched as happy guests spilled out of the cars to make room for us.
A young rider of about five or six years of age came over to me and excitedly told me all about the trip and showed me the bell he got from Santa Claus. He wished me a Merry Christmas as his mom swept him away to get warm.
The excitement of the families and children around us filled Mom and me with warmth, although we were more than a bit chilled in the night air.
We quickly boarded the train and as we took off for the North Pole, the tale of The Nutcracker was read to us over the speaker. Each car had a porter with a copy of the book and he or she walked up and down the aisle to show the colorful illustrations of the story as it unfolded.
We were also joined by live characters from the book who danced up and down the aisle and from car to car.
After the story, we sang Christmas songs as we neared the North Pole, which was easy to see because of all the lights wrapped around trees and in the yard of – gasp – Santa’s house!
Santa and Mrs. Claus waved to the train from the front porch as elves waved and danced in the front yard.
Now, I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but Santa Claus magically left his front porch and managed to board the train.
As the train made its return to the station, Santa traveled through the cars and handed out gifts to all the children.
It was an exciting and heartwarming sight to behold as the children on board reached toward Santa and all the characters to give hugs.
No Christmas train would be complete without milk and cookies, which were devoured by all as we shared the holiday spirit.
I have personally seen The Nutcracker performed on stage at Davis & Elkins College and in several iterations of film. Now, I am counted among one of the lucky ones who has experienced it on a train.
To learn more about Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, visit potomaceagle.com
