The Kansas City Ballet Presents the 41st Annual Production of THE NUTCRACKER, 12/7-12/24

Tickets for Kansas City Ballet's 41st annual production of The Nutcracker,presented at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, went on sale at 9:00 a.m., October 21. The production, featuring the choreography of Todd Bolender, returns for 18 public performances and three matinees for schools. This two-act ballet continues to delight audiences with its magnificent sets, costumes and special effects. Three casts of Kansas City Ballet dancers and the new KCB II, plus more than 175 local youngsters ages 7 to 22 selected from Kansas City Ballet School, will perform E.T.A. Hoffman's story.

Devon Carney, Kansas City Ballet's newly appointed artistic director stated, "I am honored to carry forward this tradition for Kansas City audiences. For the past 40 years, Kansas City Ballet has produced this spectacular holiday classic to the delight of hundreds of thousands of adults and children and this year will be no exception."

Kansas City Ballet's presentation of The Nutcracker is one of the largest, most theatrically successful productions in the region. Kansas City Symphony, under the baton of Kansas City Ballet Music Director Ramona Pansegrau, will perform this unforgettable score.

Sponsors

The Nutcracker is presented by Bank of America.

Ticket Information

This classic American tradition is extremely popular and those interested in purchasing tickets are advised to act quickly. Tickets may be purchased by telephone at 816.931.2232, in person at the Kansas City Ballet Box Office located at the Bolender Center at 500 W. Pershing Rd. (west of Union Station) or with "Select Your Own Seat" capability online atwww.kcballet.org. Tickets also may be purchased at the Kauffman Center Box Office and website. Visit the Kansas City Ballet website for more information about performance times, seating options and parking at www.kcballet.org. Ticket prices range from $29 to $119. There is a $6.00 Kauffman Center facilities/service fee per ticket.

Parking and Downtown Maps

Information and maps for Kauffman Center parking and construction updates can be found online at http://kcballet.org/performancestickets/planyourvisit/directions.html. The Kauffman Center Parking Garage is the most convenient, with a $7 fee collected at the gate upon arrival

Special Community Senior Group Pricing

Kansas City Ballet also offers a $25 main floor ticket to select performances for seniors groups and community service agencies. This greatly-reduced price benefits the needy and the elderly of Kansas City who would otherwise never have the opportunity to experience The Nutcracker. Call 816.931.2232 x1311 for more information.

Nutcracker Ball Presented by the Kansas City Ballet Guild
Don't miss the most delightfully festive party in town - the Ballet Guild's 46th annual Nutcracker Ball, Friday, Dec. 6, 2013 at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City. The evening begins with an enchanting cocktail hour accompanied by endless Christmas goodies, followed by a delicious three-course meal and a behind-the-scenes VIP performance by Kansas City Ballet dancers. Then let the music and merriment take you away while you dance all night with the Michael Beers Band at Kansas City's premier holiday event! The Honorary Chairmen are Dr. Michael and Ginger Frost. The Chairmen are Susan Bubb and Megan Bubb Cribb. You may purchase your Nutcracker Ball tickets online atwww.kcballet.org/ball or for more information contact balletball@kcballet.org or 816-926-0505.

The 19th Annual Sugar Plum Fairy Children's Ball

The Sugar Plum Fairy Children's Ball takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 at Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City. Guests will park at the Kauffman Center and be whisked off to the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center and the magic of The Waltz of the Flowers. Children will delight in having their complimentary picture taken with the Sugar Plum Fairy, watching traveling magicians and interacting with costumed characters. Parents will enjoy shopping at the Marketplace. Dine on a delicious three-course lunch, enjoy entertainment provided by Kansas City Youth Ballet and dance with your family and friends to holiday music. Shuttles will transport guests to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for the 2:00 p.m. matinee of Kansas City Ballet's The Nutcracker.

This event is committed to promoting the arts, Kansas City Ballet's production of The Nutcracker and raising funds for the Kansas City Ballet School and its scholarship program. Luncheon tables for 10 are on sale for $1,500. Individual luncheon tickets and luncheon/show packages are on sale now, with ticket prices starting at $70. For reservations or more information contact Rene Horne at 816.931.2232 x1346.

The Nutcracker Special Events Calendar

Fri., Dec. 6 Nutcracker Ball at Bartle Hall, Cocktails 6:30 p.m., Dinner 8:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 7 Sugar Plum Fairy Children's Ball at Bartle Hall

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 7 The Nutcracker opens at 2:00 p.m.

The Nutcracker

December 7-24, 2013 | Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Music performed by Kansas City Symphony

Kansas City's favorite holiday tradition continues with the presentation of Todd Bolender's delightful family classic The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker Choreography: Todd Bolender Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky

Sat., Dec. 7 2 p.m. (*) & 7:30 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 8 1 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 13 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 14 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 15 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.

Wed., Dec. 18 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., Dec. 19 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 20 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 21 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 22 1 p.m. & 5 p.m.

Mon., Dec. 23 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Tues., Dec. 24 1 p.m.

(*) Sugar Plum Fairy Children's Ball

Fact Sheet for The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is a classic ballet in two acts with four scenes and a prologue based on a tale by E.T.A. Hoffman "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" (1816). Running time is 1 hour 54 minutes which includes (1) 20-minute intermission.

Act I Prologue Intermission Act II

Scene I The Party Kingdom of the Sweets

Scene II The Battle

Scene III The Snow Forest

Music by Peter I. Tchaikovsky

Choreography by Kansas City Ballet's former Artistic Director Todd Bolender

Lighting design by Kirk Bookman

Staged by James Jordan, Lisa Vinzant, Susan Sands, Caitlin Mack, and Kimberly Cowen.

Music Performed by Kansas City Symphony with Conductor Ramona Pansegrau, music director of Kansas City Ballet

Scenic and costume design by Robert Fletcher with Associate Designer Keith Brumley

World Premiere - December 17, 1892 at the Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia, performed by the Kirov Ballet with the Russian title Shchelkunchik

Kansas City Premiere of Todd Bolender's production: December 22, 1981

The Nutcracker Trivia

Here is some interesting trivia about The Nutcracker. Did you know?

• There are a little more than 500 costumes, accessories & head pieces, 10 pieces of facial hair, and 8 wigs.
• This year the costume shop will use at least 6,600 hair pins during The Nutcracker.
• Between the Company, KCB II and the student casts in The Nutcracker, approximately 400 pairs of tights will be worn.
• Music Director Ramona Pansegrau has been involved with more than 1,000 performances of The Nutcrackerin the last 25 years (both playing and conducting) - and the Kansas City Ballet's version is her sixth.
• The conductor's score for The Nutcracker weighs nine pounds and has 560 pages. The orchestra has only one rehearsal to put all the music together. Every principal player in the orchestra has a solo at one point in the score.
• Each performance of The Nutcracker requires 50 pounds of snow. That's a total of 1,000 pounds for all 18 public performances in 2013.
• There are 16 scene changes and 135 light cues.
• About 900 red stickers are used for the soldiers' cheeks during the run of the show.
• There are a total of 198 hours of rehearsals for the full company, approximately 175 students and production staff.

The Nutcracker Story

ACT I

As Act I begins, relatives and friends gather in the parlor for a holiday party given by Clara's parents, Dr. and Frau Silberhaus. Children dressed in their finest clothes parade around a brightly lit Christmas tree with presents underneath for everyone. Clara is a very lucky girl. Her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, is on his way to the party with wonderful toys for Clara and her brother, Fritz.

Herr Drosselmeyer is an inventor and a very mysterious old man. He arrives at the party with many gifts, including life-sized dancing dolls. Clara is so thrilled with the dolls that she wants one all to herself, but her mother tells her that magic toys belong to children everywhere and must be shared. Drosselmeyer, seeing Clara's disappointment, produces another gift - a beautiful wooden Nutcracker carved like a cavalier with a white beard and a mouth wide enough to crack nuts. Clara loves the Nutcracker, but Fritz, jealous of his sister's gift, grabs it from Clara and throws it to the floor, breaking it. Drosselmeyer steps in to mend the Nutcracker, while Fritz receives a scolding for his bad behavior. Shortly thereafter, everyone gathers for the Grandfather's Dance. As the evening comes to an end, the guests depart, and Clara bids goodnight to her wonderful godfather and the lights dim.

The parlor is dark and quiet after the party. Clara slips downstairs to see if her Nutcracker is safe, when suddenly her world changes. She sees giant mice running across the floor, and the Christmas tree grows to fill the entire room. The mice, led by the Mouse King, prepare to attack the Nutcracker and toy soldiers. A fierce battle rages with the cannon booming and rifles cracking. The mice cheer on the Mouse King as he duels with the Nutcracker. Then, Clara comes to the rescue! She throws her tiny slipper at the Mouse King to distract him so the Nutcracker can attack. The Mouse King falls dead and his cowardly mice scamper away.

The Nutcracker looks for Clara who, in all the excitement, has fallen faint onto the giant toy bed. Magically led by the Nutcracker, the bed begins to move through the starry night. Drosselmeyer suddenly appears from the darkness and waves his magic cape, and, in a flash, the wooden Nutcracker is turned into a handsome, young prince. He bows to Clara and places the Mouse King's crown on her head. The Prince invites her to come with him to his home in the Kingdom of Sweets as a reward for saving his life. During their travels Clara and the Nutcracker Prince find themselves in the middle of a snowy forest ruled by the King and Queen of Snow. The King and Queen give Clara and the Prince permission to pass through the snowy forest of whirling snowflakes.

ACT II

Act II takes place in the Kingdom of the Sweets where everything is made of candy. The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier greet Clara and the Prince while surrounded by Angels and all the beautifully costumed dancers. The Prince tells the Sugar Plum Fairy about the battle and describes how Clara helped him defeat the Mouse King. His pantomime scene dates back to the original Russian production more than 100 years ago and has been passed on by generations of ballet instructors. The Sugar Plum Fairy congratulates Clara and the Prince on their bravery and leads them to the Royal throne to watch the festival of dances from around the world.

Three Spanish couples dance a lively waltz, then Arabian coffee dancers appear. A box of Chinese Tea arrives and is followed by The Dance of the Reed Pipes. Next the Trepak Russian dancers, swirling their candy whips, delight Clara, as do the Buffoons who dance with all of Mother Ginger's children. Soon a lovely Dew Drop Fairy appears and dances a waltz with flowers of every color. Finally, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance the Grand Pas de Deux (dance for two) just for Clara and the Prince. After her adventures in the Candy Kingdom, the brave heroine returns home in spectacular fashion with her toy Nutcracker in hand. Clara will always remember this very special holiday.

About Kansas City Ballet

To make Kansas City a destination for dance

Founded in 1957, Kansas City Ballet is a 28-member professional ballet company under the leadership of Artistic Director Devon Carney and Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley. The company's mission is to establish Kansas City Ballet as an indispensable asset in its community through exceptional performances, excellence in dance training and quality community education programs for all ages.

Kansas City Ballet is home to Kansas City Ballet School with an enrollment of 500+ children and adults offering professional training for the career-minded student as well as for those simply seeking a healthy lifestyle.

Through its professional company, its second company KCB II and its many community service programs such as Reach Out and Dance (ROAD) and DanceINFORMances we seek to nurture and develop our artists, audiences and students in the values inherent in the creativity, diversity and joy of dance.

Our home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity on the campus of Union Station, in conjunction with our Resident Company status at the world-class Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has truly positioned Kansas City as a Destination for Dance.