Friday, December 9, 2011

Joffrey Ballet-#1 Nutcracker in the Nation Opens Tonight!





‘KICK’ UP YOUR HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS WITH
THE JOFFREY BALLET’S ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF ROBERT JOFFREY’S
THE NUTCRACKER
AMERICA’S #1 NUTCRACKER

 
At the Auditorium Theatre, December 9 – 27, 2011

ChiIL Mama's thrilled to have been invited to shoot a few minutes of dress rehearsal this afternoon, and we'll be there for opening night, tonight!   We'll have a full review for you tomorrow. 

The world renowned Joffrey Ballet once again transforms the Auditorium Theatre into a winter wonderland full of magical toys and waltzing snowflakes during the annual production of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker.  One of Chicago’s favorite holiday traditions, Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker has been delighting audiences both young and old since its first Chicago performance in 1996.  The Nutcracker is presented in 20 performances at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, December 9 – 27, 2011.
 
The curtains rose on The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker on December 10, 1987 at the Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, with the production then embarking on a national tour.  Since then, The Joffrey Ballet has maintained the most Nutcracker tour dates of any major ballet company in the country, easily making it America’s #1 Nutcracker.  The year marks the launch of the 25th anniversary of Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, culminating in 2012 with an official Silver Anniversary celebration.

When Robert Joffrey choreographed The Nutcracker in 1987 with the help of his Co-Founder Gerald Arpino, he replaced the traditional European setting common in other Nutcracker productions with a 19th century American home, putting a distinctively American spin on the holiday chestnut.  The Joffrey Nutcracker maintains the classical purity of Robert Joffrey’s and Gerald Arpino’s original choreography while sparkling with elegant costumes, an extravagant set by Oliver Smith and a giant puppet by Kermit Love.  The full Joffrey company is joined onstage by 118 young dancers from Chicago and beyond, dancing in the opening Party Scene and later as Mounted Mice, Toy Soldiers, Dolls, Snow Tree Angels and with Mother Ginger as Polichinelles.  In addition to the young dancers, young vocalists from five different local children’s choirs perform the choral parts from the magical Snow Scene. 

Performance Schedule and Pricing for The Nutcracker
The 2011 performance schedule for The Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre is as follows:  Friday, Dec. 9, 7:00 pm; Saturday, Dec. 10, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Sunday, Dec. 11, 2:00 pm; Thursday, Dec. 15, 7:00 pm; Friday, Dec. 16, 7:00 pm; Saturday, Dec. 17, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Sunday, Dec. 18, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7:00 pm; Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Thursday, Dec. 22, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Friday, Dec. 23, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm; Saturday, Dec. 24, 2:00 pm; Monday, Dec. 26, 2:00 pm; and Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2:00 pm

The Chicago Sinfonietta, under the baton of Scott Speck, provides live musical accompaniment of the classic Tchaikovsky score.
 

The Joffrey Ballet’s presentation of The Nutcracker runs December 9-27, 2011.  Single tickets, priced between $30 and $115, are available at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, as well as the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Box Office, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by telephone at (800) 982-2787, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.  For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its productions, please visit joffrey.org.

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