Yahoo Autos Montgomery Ballet bringing Nutcracker home to MPAC Thursday
After a holiday road trip, the Montgomery Ballet is bringing its production of "The Nutcracker" home to Montgomery for a first-time performance at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.
it's a one night only Nutcracker event Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m. at MPAC. Montgomery Ballet recently performed it in Pike Road and Greenville.
Usually, a show like this would have been performed down the street at Davis Theatre. Danny Mitsios, Montgomery Ballet's executive and artistic director, said the reason for this year's trial move to MPAC was for the assistance with marketing and ticket sales through Ticketmaster.
"I can't dance, direct and try to do ticketing," Mitsios said.
Unlike last year's performances during COVID, Montgomery's production will be the full Nutcracker ballet.
"It's the version where Clara is a little girl, then she grows up and it's Nutcracker and adult Clara that go into the Land of Sweets," Mitsios said.
It opens with the magical Christmas party scene where Clara receives the Nutcracker doll from her uncle. It's a part that Mitsios didn't know they'd include at first.
"We're very fortunate," Mitsios said. "We weren't originally going to do it, but we were way ahead of schedule. We'd finished the entire process of setting the ballet. The children, the parents and the professional company all came together. They were like, Danny, we've got plenty of time. Let's do party scene."
Because the company is a little larger this year, Mitsios said they'll have both the Sugar Plum Fairy and Dew Drop.
"We have brought back the Snow Queen role, which we didn't do in previous years," Mitsios said. "We still have the Mother Ginger."
They've added a new role called Cavaliers, performed by Montgomery Ballet's school children.
Tickets at MPAC range from $22 to $52. They're available for purchase at mpaconline.org
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Ballet bringing Nutcracker home to MPAC Thursday
