There will be a new guest at the Petrov party this year when Atlanta Ballet brings its most popular production back to life. Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, sponsored by Belk, Inc., will return to the Fabulous Fox Theatre Dec. 6-29, 2013, joined by special guest artist, master illusionist Drew Thomas.
After upping the magic ante in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker last season, artistic director John McFall has invited Thomas back. This year Thomas will not only add more illusions and special effects, but he’ll also perform them during the first two weekends of the run, Dec. 6-15.
Thomas will take on the role of Herr Drosselmeyer, the mysterious, yet charming toymaker responsible for bringing young Marya’s magical journey to life.
Since recreating Nutcracker in 1995, McFall has updated the production every year to keep it vibrant and fresh.
“For five decades now, Atlanta Ballet has been presenting Nutcracker, and we’ve become a holiday tradition for many families in Atlanta,” said McFall. “It’s an honor, but also a great responsibility. Each year we want to make sure we preserve the tradition, but also keep the magic and the mystery alive. We are thoughtful about each change we make and confident that it will ultimately make for a more enchanting experience. The decision to add real magic and illusions was an easy one. Drew is an amazing talent and with him we’ve been able to let our imaginations run wild and take Nutcracker to the next level.”
Thomas actually began his professional career with McFall more than 20 years ago. McFall, who was then artistic director at Columbus, Ohio’s Ballet Met, gave Thomas his first gig right out of high school, commissioning him to create the magic for the company’s Nutcracker. Since then, Thomas has offered his expertise to companies such as Six Flags, Sea World, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and the NBA’s Orlando Magic, earning the praise of many industry insiders, including Jim Timon, VP of Entertainment at Universal Studios Orlando, who hailed Thomas as "a rare creative and extraordinary talent." He was most recently a finalist on NBC’s hit reality-TV series “America’s Got Talent,” becoming one of the show’s most popular acts.
What won’t change in this year’s production is the appearance of more than 250 Atlanta area school children performing alongside the professional company, which will be the first chance for many of them to experience the magic of being on the Fox Theatre stage. The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, led by principal guest conductor Gary Sheldon, and the Georgia Youth Choir will also return for all performances.
Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker runs for 22 performances Dec. 6 – 29 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Tickets start as low as $20 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 855-ATL-TIXX, in person at the Fox Theatre Box Office and the Atlanta Ballet Box Office, or online at www.atlantaballet.com. For groups of ten or more, call Atlanta Ballet Group Sales at 404-873-5811, ext. 207.
Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker is sponsored by Belk, Inc.
About Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker
Atlanta Ballet first brought Nutcracker to the stage in 1959, performing George Balanchine’s version of the timeless tale. In that year, Atlanta Ballet was the only company outside of New York City Ballet allowed to perform this signature piece thanks to Atlanta Ballet’s then Associate Artistic Director Robert Barnett who had danced with Balanchine at New York City Ballet. “We gave it as a gift,” says Barnett, “inviting children from all counties to come in and see the performance. It was a gift from Mr. Balanchine, and he never charged us a cent for doing it.” From that day forward, Nutcracker has been an annual event in Atlanta. In 1995, Atlanta Ballet’s third and current artistic director, John McFall, created a brand new Nutcracker for the city of Atlanta. McFall’s vision was to create a Nutcracker that was “traditional yet new, familiar yet different, classic yet contemporary and above all magical.” Every year since then McFall has added a special touch to the production in an effort to keep it vibrant and fresh.
(Winner Chooses Performance - any show before Dec. 23rd. Show must be chosen within 7 days of being notified as a winner.)
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