I repeat: Libya’s Colonel Qadhafi did NOT choreograph any part of the Nutcracker. Why the repetition? Because a few ballet fans fell for what I thought was an obvious joke in this week’s theater listings: “The Nutcracker: Music By Tchaikovsky, sets by Maurice Sendak, choreography by Col. Moammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi.â€� Said ballet fans called Pacific Northwest Ballet to scream at them for either putting that kind of joke in their press release or—and this kills me—allowing Qadhafi’s choreography onto their stage.

I had no idea you dance-listings-readers took your Nutcracker—and yourselves—so seriously.

We occasionally slip jokes into the listings to reward readers who actually read the listings—and enticing readers into the listings is good for them, good for theaters, and good for artists. We are very, very disappointed in the handful of Stranger readers who took the time to bitch out Pacific Northwest Ballet for a joke that obviously originated at the Stranger. We expect more from our readers. We really do.

p.s. Kent Stowell choreographed the Nutcracker.