Queens Theatre in the Park Presents THE NUTCRACKER 12/29, 12/30

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents THE NUTCRACKER on Tuesday, December 29 at 1pm and 4pm and Wednesday, December 30 at 1pm and 4pm in the Claire Shulman Playhouse Main Stage Theatre at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are $12 and are available at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

It's a tradition as big as the holiday season itself. The young, and the young at heart, will delight to the magic and the wonder of this classic holiday treat, specially conceived for children by NYC's own Ballet for Young Audiences.

Whatever could compare to the enchantment of the first time a youngster visits the ballet. A dream story only imagined is suddenly brought to life through music, dance, beautiful costumes and light. Ballet for Young Audiences is dedicated precisely to this idea, to introducing the magic of dance to youngsters of all ages. The company's repertory offers a wide variety of ballets in the universal combined languages of music, dance and the spoken word.

Ballet for Young Audiences was established in 1985 and is dedicated to reaching youngsters of all ages and backgrounds to stimulate their cultural growth by exposing them to different areas of theater, particularly dance as it transcends all economic and language barriers. Ballet for Young Audiences began as an adjunct company to The Rockefellers Traveling Playhouse. The Nutcracker, BYA's first offering was an enormous success and the following year Cinderella was added. Over the next several years BYA became a separate entity, appearing before more and more audiences until in 1991 it added an association with Theaterworks USA. The company integrates dance, music and the spoken word.

Ballet for Young Audiences is a non-profit company which appears regularly on the Schooltime Series at the Tisch Performing Arts Center, Town Hall and the Symphony Space in NYC. They appear frequently at Queens Theater in the Park, Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center, LaGuardia Community College in the NY area. They have appeared at Performing Arts Centers as far west as Texas A&M, throughout North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts. They also appear regularly on Channel MNN's Children's Series and recently their production of Nutcracker was highlighted on NYCTV.Their season extends from October through May.

Tickets are available:
* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.
* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.
* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

* Multi Show: Order any three or more shows and earn the multi show discount price. This discount is available for any show this season. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase at this discount. If you are already a Theatre or Dance Subscriber or have purchased at least two shows this season, you have already earned this discount on additional ticket purchases.
* Groups: Contact group sales associate Barbara Matovu at 718-760-0064 x128 for groups of 15 or more.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
By Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.
By Car: Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.

About Queens Theatre in the Park
Queens Theatre in the Park is committed to presenting performing arts that provide audiences with the highest quality work. QTP also produces new plays, with a concentration on up-and-coming directors and playwrights. QTP has broadened the experience of its core audience to include works by under-recognized artists from around the world and works that tap into the diverse communities of Queens.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York State Pavilion designed for the 1964 World's Fair by Philip Johnson. The Pavilion was converted to a theatre in 1972 and was operated by various organizations until 1985. QTP was officially established in 1989 with the full support of the community and the Queens Borough President. After a $4 million renovation that brought full ADA compliance, the Theatre officially opened to the public in 1993 in a facility that allows it to stage productions equal to those of any Off-Broadway house in Manhattan in its 464-seat main stage theatre and its 99-seat Studio Theatre. What was then a small cabaret-style theater with an operating budget of under $500,000 has transformed itself into a major performing arts center with exhibition galleries with a projected operating budget of $3.9 million for FY2009.

QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.

QTP has recently completed a $ 23 million physical transformation of the Theatre. This major capital investment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements have transformed Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the borough and beyond.

Queens Theatre in the Park events are made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Queens Center is the presenting sponsor of the Kids Series.

Funding is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Jerome Robbins Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation and the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

For more information, visit www.queenstheatre.org.

Photo credit: Jean Marie Guyaux