LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — The lights go down, blanketing the crowd in an anticipatory silence. The excitement grows as the concertmaster leads the orchestra in tuning and the slightly sharp strings shift to the signature warm, smooth tones of a traditional string ensemble. This was the beginning of Los Alamitos High School orchestra’s performance of “The Nutcracker in a Nutshell,” which combines music, singing, dancing and acting to commemorate the holiday season.

This brief rendition of the classic tale, “The Nutcracker,” clocked in at about an hour, which was divided into two bite-sized acts held together by the orchestra’s experienced and cohesive playing. The first act was marked by contributions from the LAHS Advanced Drama team, which infused the whimsical but somewhat sober “Nutcracker” with a dose of modern humor. The actors got the audience chuckling with plenty of improv, giving each character a strong personality even without audible lines.

“I like it because I can make up whatever conversation I want, and people just play along with it. I just have conversations about the craziest of things!” Laila Montana, Advanced Drama member and performer in the show, said.

Indeed, drama’s zeal for improvisation truly shone, playing up classic “Nutcracker” characters; there was Myles Zintl as the instantly lovable Herr Drosselmeyer, Mason Potter as a mischievous and hilariously obnoxious Fritz and a cast of energetic partygoers decked out in Christmas gear.

I felt that Advanced Drama really helped make the show suited for a younger, more modern audience with moments like a fun sword fight and the humorous “Boomwhacker Christmas.” While these unique choices would perhaps be out of place in a traditional “Nutcracker” story, its inclusion proved “The Nutcracker in a Nutshell” is deliberately unorthodox and good at being so.

Yet, despite its repackaging, the LAHS “Nutcracker” production didn’t skimp on technical skill and traditional artistry; in fact, the musicality of “Hall of the Mountain King” gave me the chills. The orchestra proved itself to have mastered musical timing and unity by taking on these complex, gorgeous pieces.

“Cohesion-wise, we could do a little better to make sure all of us are on time, but all those things are definitely workable, and we do work toward solving those issues,” junior and chamber orchestra violinist Duy Dang said. “It’s way more connected than last year, though.”

To an outsider, however, it seems as though the orchestra has outdone themselves already. Their beautiful renditions of the classic songs I grew up with were rousing, inspired and consistent through the most difficult pieces. In the second half, the show decided to forgo acting performances to focus on dance, which paired impressively with orchestra’s music and cherubic vocals from LAHS choir, setting the tone for “Nutcracker” star Clara’s fantasy land during the “Waltz of the Snowflakes.”

Both orchestra’s musical talent and choir dancer Katelyn Chen’s feather-light dancing made the performance a standout. Chen’s “Waltz of the Snowflakes” and “Waltz of the Flowers” duets were exquisite; it may have been the music’s swelling crescendo, but I never heard her feet touch the ground.

Viewers also enjoyed the energetic “Spanish Chocolate” and “Chinese Tea” dances, which were accompanied by the orchestra’s compositions. The Russian dance, too, was well done, with an impressive Russian fouetté as a highlight. However, my favorite piece was inspired by a different region of the world.

“There’s a piece called ‘Arabian Dance.’ I’d say the song itself is really slow, it takes a while to go through, but it’s really pretty. I really like it,” Dang said.

If the song was a treat for Dang to play, then it was a delight for the audience to witness. The piece, composed of bass-toned strings and wind harmonies, was as smooth, slow and strong as the drip of Arabian coffee that inspired it. The accompanying dance, was playful and graceful with a hypnotic flow, punctuated by the rustle and jingle of the red and gold costume. In my opinion, this was perhaps one of the best numbers of the show.

Soon after, the lovely, quintessential “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” followed, featuring LAHS dance program member Grace Yoon. Finally, the show closed with Jenny Woo’s Clara and Evan Pagan’s Nutcracker Prince saying their farewells to the audience, which was narrated by Ella Cox, who played an elderly grandmother. The cast took their final bows to thunderous applause.

“I really liked the Sugar Plum Fairy,” LAHS junior and dance student Rhiannon Carlson said. “It was really nice. I like the costume.”

This well-executed, inspired take on the classic favorite, “The Nutcracker,” was united by the consistently powerful playing of the orchestra, the humor of Advanced Drama, and the dancers’ callbacks to the show’s ballet roots. If this is how orchestra always performs, then they’re certainly deserving of their accolades and your attendance at their next performance.