Nominees Announced for 6th Annual Goldstar National Nutcracker Award

Goldstar – the leading membership-based web retailer of half-price live entertainment tickets-announces the nominees for the 6th annuAl Goldstar National Nutcracker Award today.

This season- the 120th anniversary of the Moscow premier- more than 40 Nutcrackers will compete to win the 'Nutty Award' and the title of "best loved Nutcracker" in the nation. The list of nominees encompasses a wide variety of shows taking place across the US.

Performance styles of the nominees run the gamut from traditional presentations, such as San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker to new interpretations of the classic like Mark Morris' The Hard Nut.

The winner will be announced on Friday, December 21, 2012.

The Goldstar National Nutcracker Award, which made its debut in 2007, is awarded to the The Nutcracker with the best member reviews and event rating. To ensure the authenticity of the ratings, members are only able to submit reviews and vote on their favorite Nutcracker after they have purchased tickets and seen the show.

In addition to The Goldstar National Nutcracker Award, the winner will also be given a cash prize to be used toward their education programs.

"Each year, theaters across America host hundreds of Nutcracker performances, featuring everything from puppets and horses to jazz bands and gypsies," said Jim McCarthy, CEO of Goldstar. "The Goldstar National Nutcracker Award draws attention to all the different types of shows America has to offer – and helps audiences identify the best."

Previous Goldstar National Nutcracker Award-winners include:

2011- The Joffrey Ballet's The Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University,

Chicago

2010- Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, UCLA, LA

2009- Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House, Boston

2008- The Kirov Ballet's The Nutcracker at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA

2007- The House Theater of Chicago's The Nutcracker at the Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago

And, the Nominees for the 2012 Goldstar National Nutcracker Award are:

ATLANTA
Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker
Fox Theatre (Atlanta, GA)

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker

Gwinnett Center (Duluth, GA)

Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre, The Nutcracker

Jennie T. Anderson Theatre - Cobb Civic Center (Marietta, GA)

BOSTON
The Youth Ballet of Worcester, The Nutcracker
The Hanover Theatre (Worcester, MA)

CHICAGO
The House Theatre of Chicago, The Nutcracker**

Chopin Theatre Mainstage (Chicago, IL)

The Joffrey Ballet, Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker**

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL)

Salt Creek Ballet's The Nutcracker

North Shore Center, Center Theatre (Skokie, IL)

Ruth Page Civic Ballet, The Nutcracker

Notheastern Illinois University Auditorium (Chicago, IL)

Schaumburg Dance Ensemble, The Nutcracker

Prairie Center for the Arts (Schaumburg, IL)

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker

Akoo Theatre at Rosemont (Rosemont, IL)

DALLAS
MBS Productions, The Beulaville Baptist Book Club Presents: A Bur-Less-Q Nutcracker

The Stone Cottage Theatre (Addison, TX)

Texas Ballet Theater, Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker

Bass Performance Hall (Fort Worth, TX)

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker

McFarlin Auditorium (Dallas, TX)

INLAND EMPIRE
Inland Pacific Ballet, The Nutcracker

Bridges Auditorium (Claremont, CA)

LOS ANGELES
Marat Daukayev Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker
Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State LA (Los Angeles, CA)

City Ballet of Los Angeles, Nutcracker Swings

The Wilshire Ebell Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)

Westside Ballet's The Nutcracker

Wadsworth Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)

The Red Chair Children's Production Company, The Nutcracker

Alex Theatre (Glendale, CA)

South Bay Ballet, The Nutcracker

El Camino College Center for the Arts-Marsee Auditorium (Torrance, CA)

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker

Wiltern The Wiltern (Los Angeles, CA)

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Continental Ballet Company, The Nutcracker
Bloomington Center for the Arts (Bloomington, MN)

NEW YORK
Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory Company, The Nutcracker
Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Symphony Space (New York City, NY)

New York Theatre Ballet, The Nutcracker
South Orange Performing Arts Center (South Orange, NJ)

ORANGE COUNTY

Tustin Dance Center's The Nutcracker
Nechita Center for the Performing Arts (Orange, CA)

Long Beach Ballet's The Nutcracker

Terrace Theater (Long Beach, CA)

Festival Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker

Irvine Barclay Theatre (Irvine, CA)

Ballet Etudes, The Nutcracker

Huntington Beach High School Historic Auditorium (Huntington Beach, CA)

The Anaheim Ballet's The Nutcracker

City National Grove of Anaheim (Anaheim, CA)

PORTLAND
Oregon Ballet Theatre, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Keller Auditorium (Portland, OR)

PHOENIX

Phoenix Youth Ballet Theatre and Arizona Dance Artistry, The Nutcracker Suite

Cactus Shadow Fine Arts Center (Scottsdale, AZ)

SAN DIEGO
City Ballet of San Diego, The Nutcracker
Spreckels Theatre (San Diego, CA)

California Ballet's The Nutcracker

San Diego Civic Theatre(San Diego, CA)

SAN FRANCISCO
Mark Morris' The Hard Nut

Cal Performances' Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley, CA)

San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker

War Memorial Opera House (San Francisco, CA)

San Francisco Youth Ballet, The Nutcracker

Mercy High School Theater (San Francisco, CA)

City Ballet School, The Nutcracker

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (San Francisco, CA)

Berkeley Ballet Theater's The Nutcracker

Julia Morgan Theater (Berkeley, CA)

Alameda Civic Ballet's The Nutcracker, a Holiday Family Favorite

Kofman Theatre(Alameda, CA)

SEATTLE
Olympic Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker

Everett Performing Arts Center (Everett, WA)

Byrnes Performing Arts Center (Arlington, WA)

Edmonds Center for the Arts (Edmonds, WA)

Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker

Triple Door (Seattle, WA)

SAN JOSE
San Jose Youth Ballet, The Nutcracker
Mexican Heritage Plaza (San Jose, CA)

WASHINGTON D.C.
The Washington Ballet, Septime Webre's The Nutcracker

Warner Theatre(Washington, DC)

Olney Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker

Olney Theatre Center - Historic Stage (Olney, MD)

Virginia Ballet Company and School, The Nutcracker

Ernst Cultural Center Auditorium (Annandale, VA)

The Fairfax Ballet, The Nutcracker

W.T. Woodson High School (Fairfax, VA)

Puppet Co., The Nutcracker

Puppet Co. Playhouse (Glen Echo, MD)

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker
George Mason University's Center for the Arts (Fairfax, VA)

To learn more about the Goldstar National Nutcracker Award please visit us online at www.goldstar.com/nutcrackeraward.