The Honourable Chrystia Freeland Makes Debut In The Nutcracker as A Cannon Doll

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, announces the 2017/18 season lineup of Cannon Dolls featured in The Nutcracker. The holiday favourite has a great tradition of inviting prominent Canadians to appear onstage in the guest roles with over 1,000 notable personalities making cameo appearances onstage to date.

Joining the National Ballet onstage as Cannon Dolls this season are Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, founders of Free the Children, WE Day and ME to WE Craig and Marc Kielburger, author Margaret Atwood, contemporary artist Charles Pachter, family entertainers Sharon and Bram, professional contractor and TV host Mike Holmes, host of Food Network Canada's Top Chef Eden Grinshpan, hosts of CBC's q Tom Power and Radio 2 Morning Raina Douris, hosts of TVO's The Agenda Steve Paikin and Nam Kiwanuka, and founders of Oliver and Bonacini Restaurants Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini.

Celebrity walk-on roles are a long-held tradition with Nutcrackers all over the world. In the National Ballet's production, the Cannon Dolls are the guest roles and are colourfully costumed Russian Petrouchka dolls who shoot a cannon into the audience to begin the battle scene in Act I. Past Cannon Dolls have included Chris Hadfield, Tessa Virtue, Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Andrea Horvath, Barbara Hall, Brendan Canning, Larry Gowan, Sarah Gadon, Rick Mercer and Mayor John Tory.

This season, the National Ballet hosts Dance Mosaic: Canada 150, celebrating Toronto's vibrant and diverse dance community in honor of Canada's 150th anniversary. Several organizations have been invited to attend a special, free performance of The Nutcracker on Friday, December 8. The Cannon Dolls will be Artistic Director of Ballet Creole Patrick Parsons and Ballet Creole Company Member Alistair Graphine.

This season's Cannon Dolls:

December 7 at 7:30 pm

The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra Violinist celebrating her 40th Anniversary, Sonia Klimasko-Leheniuk

December 8 at 7:00 pm

Artistic Director of Ballet Creole Patrick Parsons and Ballet Creole Company Member Alistair Graphine

December 9 at 2:00 pm

Founders of Free the Children, WE Day and ME to WE, Craig and Marc Kielburger

December 9 at 7:00 pm

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs

December 10 at 1:00 pm

CP24 Hosts Jee-Yun Lee and Patricia Jaggernauth

December 10 at 5:30 pm

Family Entertainers Sharon and Bram

December 13 at 7:00 pm

Professional Contractor and TV Host Mike Holmes and his son Mike Holmes Jr.

December 14 at 7:00 pm

Host of CBC's q Tom Power and Host of CBC Radio 2 Morning Raina Douris

December 15 at 7:00 pm

Chair of Torstar Corporation John Honderich and President/CEO, Torstar Corporation, Publisher of the Toronto Star, John Boynton

December 16 at 2:00 pm

Stars of The Real Housewives of Toronto Gregoriane Minot and Jana Webb

December 16 at 7:00 pm

Host of Food Network Canada's Top Chef Canada Eden Grinshpan

December 17 at 1:00 pm

Hosts of 98.1 FM CHFI's Morning Show Darren B. Lamb and Maureen Holloway

December 17 at 5:30 pm

Hosts of TVO's The Agenda Steve Paikin and Nam Kiwanuka

December 19 at 7:00 pm

Author Margaret Atwood and Contemporary Artist Charles Pachter

December 20 at 7:00 pm

Author Eric Walters

December 21 at 7:00 pm

Founders of Oliver and Bonacini Restaurants Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini

December 22 at 7:00 pm

Hosts of CBC's The Goods Andrea Bain and Shahir Massoud

December 23 at 2:00 pm

Host of 99.9 Virgin Radio Toronto's Morning Show Scott Tucker

December 23 at 7:00 pm

Global News Anchor Farah Nasser

December 24 at 1:00 pm

Editor in Chief of Canadian Living Erin McLaughlin

December 27 at 1:00 pm

104.5 CHUM FM Host and Style Expert on CTV's The Social and Your Morning, Meredith Shaw and Chef Expert of The Marilyn Denis Show Rodney Bowers

December 27 at 5:30 pm

Comedian and Host of CBC Radio's The Debaters, Steve Patterson and Comedian Dave Hemstad

December 29 at 1:00 pm

Breakfast TV Toronto Anchor Melanie Ng and Meteorologist Frank Ferragine

December 29 at 5:30 pm

CP24 Breakfast Co-Host Pooja Handa and Meteorologist Bill Coulter

December 30 at 2:00 pm

Culture Editor at ELLE Canada Sarah Laing and Features Editor at Style at Home Sara Cation

The Nutcracker is choreographed by James Kudelka with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set and costume design by Santo Loquasto and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton.

Nutcracker Story Time begins 45 minutes prior to every performance in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

To post a comment, you must register and login.