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Christine Skinner
Cape Town City Ballet heralds the start of its bumper summer programme with captivating festive season favourite THE NUTCRACKER.
Fun for all the family, THE NUTCRACKERis produced by ballet doyenne Veronica Paeper, and will be presented for a limited season from 7 to 23 December at Artscape in the Opera House.
Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the premiere of this charming ballet story, the dynamic dancers of Cape Town City Ballet will be accompanied by Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Brandon Phillips at select performances. Following nationwide auditions, forty children at each show have the chance to delight audiences as they perform alongside the Company.
Experience this magical, uplifting tale of The Nutcracker Prince and Christmas narrative of Clara, her brother Fritz, the handsome Nutcracker Prince, and the Mouse King!
Bookings will also soon be open for Cape Town City Ballet’s CINDERELLA, which runs at Artscape from 4 to 19 February. “Patrons can now plan their summer season entertainment well in advance and book for both shows at the same time,” says Debbie Turner, CEO of Cape Town City Ballet.
For THE NUTCRACKER, Veronica Paeper once again teams up with her long-standing collaborator Peter Cazalet for Set and Costume Design, assisted by Set and Costume consultant Michael Mitchell.Acclaimed designer Wilhelm Disbergen is responsible for Lighting Design.
Performed to enchanting music by Tchaikovsky, with libretto by Marius Petipa, adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, choreography is by Pamela Chrimes and David Poole after Lev Ivanov.
“What better way to round off the year with a sumptuous feast of ballet and entertainment in our production of perennial favourite, The Nutcracker,” says Turner.
“We encourage patrons to have fun, dress up and use every performance as an opportunity to celebrate the holiday season spirit. At our closing performance on 23 December, young audience members can enjoy the Children’s Parade, take pictures with the characters on stage and receive a sweet treat!”
THE NUTCRACKER is set on Christmas Eve at a celebratory gathering of family, friends and children, as an enigmatic story unfolds.
The children receive their special gifts, and Clara is beguiled by her very unusual nutcracker doll. She falls asleep holding her new friend, and dreams that she saves the doll’s life in a “fierce” battle against The Mouse King. Just like that…. the doll magically transforms into a handsome prince, who whisks Clara away to the Kingdom of the Sweets through the Land of Snow. The enigmatic Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes Clara and the Prince to her land as special guests and treats them to a spectacular display of the world’s most wonderful delectable indulgences in the captivating Kingdom of the Treats!
THE NUTCRACKER will be presented at Artscape in the Opera House from 7 to 23 December.
Bookings can be made at Artscape Dial-A-Seat 021 421 7695 or through Computicket.
Performances accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra:
Wednesday 7 December at 19h30 Thursday 8 December at 19h30 Friday 9 December at 19h30 Saturday 10 December at 15h00 Saturday 10 December at 19h30 Sunday 11 December at 18h00 Tuesday 13 December at 19h30 Performances to recorded music: Sunday 11 December at 15h00 Wednesday 14 December at 19h30 Thursday 15 December at 19h30 Friday 16 December at 19h30 Saturday 17 December at 15h00 Saturday 17 December at 19h30 Sunday 18 December at 15h00 Tuesday 20 December at 19h30 Wednesday 21 December at 19h30 Thursday 22 December at 19h30 Friday 23 December at 15h00 (Children’s Parade – Take pictures with the characters on stage and receive a sweet treat!)
Tickets cost from R200 to R495 for performances accompanied by Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tickets cost from R175 to R350 for evening performances to recorded music.
Tickets cost from R175 to R300 for matinee performances to recorded music.
Pensioners tickets can be purchased from Artscape Box Office only at R30 discount per ticket.
Block bookings (ten or more) can be purchased from Artscape Box Office only at R30 discount per ticket.
The production is suitable for 4 years and over.
Cape Town City Ballet is grateful for the support of all sponsors including the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government, Food Lovers Market, Erica Manning for the Cape Town City Ballet Endowment Trust, The Christian Ludolph Marais Trust and the Friends of Cape Town City Ballet.