NJ Ballet's NUTCRACKER Brings Holiday Magic to Morristown, Now thru 12/24

The magic of the holiday season returns to Morristown when the New Jersey Ballet presents its 44th season of Nutcracker beginning tonight, December 12 at 7:30 pm. The ballet, with more than 100 performers and full orchestra, will run for fourteen performances, December 12 through 24 at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. Tickets are $25-$59.

New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker at MPAC will feature a full orchestra under the direction of Gary S. Fagin. When the curtain rises, audiences in Morristown can expect the same eye-popping special effects, brilliant dancing, glorious costumes, and the magic and pantomime that continues to delight New Jerseyans year after year and inspires critics to praise the production as "a spectacle that never seems to age," "magic that should go on and on," and "One of the best -- as good as it gets."

New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker is the longest-running original professional production in the state. It debuted at Paper Mill Playhouse in 1971 with Edward Villella (then a star with New York City Ballet) as the Cavalier. Today, after over 800 performances involving more than 4000 dancers and children and an audience of over a million viewers, New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker is firmly established as New Jersey's favorite holiday tradition.

The heart of the production is the company itself - a troupe of 16 professional artists of international reputation who hail from 8 countries - Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uruguay and the United States. They have toured on every continent with internationally renowned companies. Many have also performed with American companies such as Los Angeles Ballet, Carolina Ballet, St. Louis Ballet and international tours of Riverdance.

New Jersey Ballet's extensive performance schedule is made possible in part by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and by other generous corporate, foundation, and individual contributors. New Jersey Ballet's series at Mayo Performing Arts Center is made possible In part by the F. M. Kirby Family Foundation. The company has been designated a Major Arts Institution by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for "artistic excellence, substantial programming, and broad public service," and was recently voted New Jersey's Favorite Dance Company in an online poll conducted by Discover Jersey Arts.

Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2014-2015 season is made possible, in part, by a grant the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations and individuals. The Mayo Performing Arts Center has been designated a Major Presenting Organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

New Jersey Ballet's Nutcracker:

Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Dec. 13 at 1 pm and 6 pm
Sunday, Dec. 14 at 1 pm and 6 pm
Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7 pm
Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, Dec. 20 at 1 pm and 6 pm
Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1 pm and 6 pm
Monday, Dec. 22 at 7 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 7 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 1 pm

Tickets: $25-59. All performances play the Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown, NJ 07960. Box office: (973) 539-8008 or online at www.mayoarts.org. All programs subject to change.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!