Cincinnati Ballet Will Move THE NUTCRACKER to a Virtual Format

The holidays would not be complete without The Nutcracker presented by Frisch's Big Boy, especially during these challenging times. This year everyone in our community will have the opportunity to experience The Nutcracker for free! As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of our dancers, staff, students, and patrons, Cincinnati Ballet is shifting our family tradition from an in-person experience to a digital one, The Nutcracker at Home presented by Frisch's Big Boy.

"Given the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases across the region, we've made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person performances of The Nutcracker at Cincinnati Music Hall," said Cincinnati Ballet President and CEO Scott Altman. "We have a responsibility to the community to do all we can to stop the spread of COVID-19. While we will dearly miss performing for live audiences, we are producing and recording a re-imagined, hour-long performance everyone can enjoy in the comfort and safety of their own homes. We could think of no better gift for the community this holiday season."

The Nutcracker at Home will be recorded at Cincinnati Music Hall following strict health and safety protocols. The production will feature Artistic Director Victoria Morgan's whimsical choreography, Main Company dancers, and gorgeous sets and costumes. "All those magical moments we share together each year remain in this production," said Morgan. "Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, plus we've added a few surprises just for this digital version." Cincinnati Ballet is also honored to partner with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to create a unique recording of Tchaikovsky's iconic music for this special performance. Cincinnati Ballet Music Director Carmon DeLeone will conduct 35 Symphony musicians for the recording at Music Hall. There will be several opportunities for the community to view the program. Cincinnati Ballet will announce the details in the coming days. The Nutcracker at Home virtual experience will also include behind-the-scenes, bonus content, as well as the online Nutcracker gift shop on our website, cballet.org.

When Cincinnati Ballet announced the re-imagined 2020-2021 Season, we recognized the challenges in producing live performances during the pandemic and included plans to modify productions based on current circumstances. We so enjoyed creating live performances for Ballet in the Park and Cincinnati Made earlier this season. We continue to plan the remainder of the 2020-2021 Season with live, in-person productions, which will be enhanced by digital offerings for audiences everywhere to enjoy the beauty of dance.