(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Ballet Society will offer three performances of the holiday classic The Nutcracker with a uniquely Colorado Springs twist, and the FOX21 News Team will narrate and emcee the events!
A Colorado Nutcracker takes the traditional, well-loved story of The Nutcracker and drops it in historic Colorado Springs for a truly unique and local performance.
“A Colorado Nutcracker embodies the complete traditional Nutcracker storyline, but is set in 1907 Colorado Springs,” said Mia Gerrish, Director of Operations and School Vice Principal of Colorado Ballet Society.
The production highlights the historical characters of the Colorado Springs community, celebrating the founding families of the Front Range. The audience will step back in time and experience a 1907 Christmas Eve celebration at the Glen Eyrie home of General William J. Palmer, amongst the city’s illustrious founding families, including Spencer and Julie Penrose (founders of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center), Henry and Elizabeth McAllister (early Colorado Springs City Planner), and Charles and Josephine Tutt (goldmine magnet and Penrose business partner).
Young Clara, an orphan visitor, receives an enchanted Nutcracker doll from Nikola Tesla, inventor extraordinaire and special guest at the party. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince journey through a Colorado winter wonderland to the delightful Land of Sweets where we meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, Mother Nature, and other fanciful characters.
The founder of the Colorado Ballet Society, Patricia Hoffman, created the concept of A Colorado Nutcracker in 2017, earning the Pikes Peak Arts Council’s Exceptional Nutcracker Award for its debut.
The 75-minute productions will be brought to life by local, award-winning dancers from the Colorado Ballet Society, Colorado Youth Ballet, musicians from the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, vocalists from Rise Christian Performing Arts Christmas Choir, and other guest artists. The play will be narrated by FOX21’s own News Director Joe Cole and emceed each night by Evening News Anchor Scott Kilbury.
There will be two evening performances and one Matinee performance on Dec. 17 and 18:
Tuesday, Dec. 17 – 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 18 – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets range from $29-$54 and are available at the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts box office (190 South Cascade Ave.), or online at AXS.com and on the Colorado Ballet Society’s website.
“Not only will the audience get a touch of local Colorado Springs history and experience the magic of the traditional Nutcracker story, they will also have the opportunity to experience a professional-level performance featuring 150 talented local students,” said Kate Walsh, Artistic Director and School Principal of Colorado Ballet Society.
