Artistic Director’s Notebook: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® 2024
Dear Friends,
Welcome to George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. We debuted this whimsical production, designed by children’s book author Ian Falconer, in 2015. After almost a decade, we are closing in on 400 performances. Perhaps this is your first time seeing the show, or maybe you have seen it often enough to know when the bunny pulls the Mouse King’s tail, or when Mother Ginger shows off her flock of dancing children, or when the pair of prancing reindeer take flight. There are so many enchanting moments in this production which is why audience members return to McCaw Hall each year to see it again.
As we welcome tens of thousands through our front doors, we also welcome hundreds through our stage door for each performance. This includes 60 musicians (at intermission check out the array of holiday lights our players add to their music stands), 48 company dancers (some have up to nine different roles to play), 42 Professional Division students (these dancers perform in adult roles), 146 students from the lower levels of our school, dozens of dressers, crew members, and more. Let’s not forget the small army of individuals who market this production, sell tickets, run the gift shop, and guarantee the best experience for guests. Each member of this extensive team has a specific and very important role in helping to create the magic you see on stage. Did you know one of our students makes Clara’s bed roll around the stage? That’s supposed to be a secret, so keep that one to yourself.
Like so many others, The Nutcracker was my first ballet experience. I was just five, and I still remember the wonder I felt. I imagine first-timers of any age feel the same sense of wonder I did when I was a kid. It is a perfect introduction to ballet. If you love what you see, consider coming back to see another performance in the new year. An exciting world premiere production of The Sleeping Beauty is right around the corner premiering on January 31, complete with dancing cats, wicked fairies, pristine princesses, and a bumbling ogre. You may want to catch Beauty and The Beast in March as part of our narrated Family Matinee series. PNB has a tremendous variety of ballets for you to discover.
Thank you for joining us today! As you leave, we encourage you and your friends to linger in the lobby, take a photo or two, select a keepsake from the shop, and come see us again. We love knowing we are bringing joy and enchantment to you and yours. From all of us backstage, in the orchestra pit, and on stage, we feel it too. Now let’s take that horse-drawn carriage ride through the moonlit snow to Stahlbaum’s festive home. Enter through the front door, but be sure to close it before any mice sneak in.
Kind Regards,
