{"id":22461,"date":"2016-12-17T09:15:18","date_gmt":"2016-12-17T14:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=22461"},"modified":"2016-12-17T09:15:21","modified_gmt":"2016-12-17T14:15:21","slug":"on-stage-extra-make-the-holidays-come-alive-with-local-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=22461","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Make the holidays come alive with local productions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Staff Writer, The Times<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Nutcracker by The Pennsylvania Ballet<\/p><\/div>\n

For many families, going to a theater to watch a live on-stage production of a holiday show is an annual tradition \u2013 especially shows such as \u201cA Christmas Carol,\u201d \u201cBest Christmas Ever\u201d and various plays based on the Nativity scene. Without a doubt, the most popular holiday productions are ballet performances of \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania Ballet\u2019s annual production of \u201cGeorge Balanchine\u2019s The Nutcracker\u201d is one of the most cherished\u2014and longest running\u2014family holiday traditions for families in the region. For many, a visit to Philadelphia to enjoy the lavish presentation by the world-famous Pennsylvania Ballet is a integral part of the holiday season.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s production, which is running now through December 31 at the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999, www.paballet.org<\/span><\/a>), is the 47th annual staging of the classic ballet. The ballet is based on E.T.A. Hoffman\u2019s tale \u201cThe Nutcracker and The Mouse King\u201d and set to a score by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky.<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring lively dances, colorful costumes and elaborate sets, \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d is a production that appeals to audiences of all ages. The original version of the timeless classic was first presented in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my third season doing \u2018The Nutcracker\u2019 with the Pennsylvania Ballet, said artistic director Angel Corella, during a recent phone interview.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in Madrid, Spain, Corella joined American Ballet Theatre in 1995 and was quickly promoted to principal dancer. In his 17-year career with ABT, he established himself as one of the greatest male dancers of his time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Corella has also appeared as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet in London, the Kirov Ballet in Russia, and New York City Ballet. From 2008-2014, he served as director for his own company, the Barcelona Ballet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was here two years ago during (Nutcracker) rehearsals but I had to go back to Spain to retire,\u201d said Corella, during a recent phone interview. \u201cI was already artistic director but I couldn\u2019t be full-time until January 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBallet is full-time\u2014for me and for the dancers. The challenge is to keep it fresh. The energy and dynamic of the company is changing. It\u2019s very exciting now. With \u2018The Nutcracker,\u2019 it might be the first time for audience members so dancers have to go onstage like it\u2019s the first time. It\u2019s very important that the theatrical part of the show is there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Balanchine\u2019s choreography plays a major role in the Pennsylvania Ballet\u2019s annual production of \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d The company has been doing both acts by Balanchine for the last 29 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

George Balanchine, who was named Giorgi Balanchivadze when he was born in Russia in 1904, was one of the last century\u2019s most celebrated choreographers. He was a primary developer of ballet in the United States in his position as co-founder and ballet master of New York City Ballet. Balanchine created his version of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d for the New York City Ballet in 1955.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pennsylvania Ballet\u2019s production of the ballet features over 100 performers and has an annual audience attendance of over 50,000. The company\u2019s production is big, colorful and elaborate. And, it is staged in one of the most beautiful performance halls in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The version of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet features everything audiences associate with the timeless ballet\u2014a cast of 19th-century families celebrating Christmas Eve, a little girl\u2019s dream of her Nutcracker Prince, the Prince\u2019s toy soldiers battling a fleet of mice led by the Mouse King and the crowd-pleasing second act of dances in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we\u2019re still doing Balanchine\u2019s \u2018Nutcracker\u2019 because it works,\u201d said Corella. \u201cBalanchine\u2019s \u2018The Nutcracker\u2019 is one of the best in the world. At the Pennsylvania Ballet, I\u2019ve gotten my first chance to do Balanchine\u2019s choreography. I\u2019ve always done other versions \u2013 even when I was a dancer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt has nice choreography. It\u2019s great to be able to do this show and give it justice. I haven\u2019t made any changes to the choreography. We stay respectful to Balanchine\u2019s original choreography. We just make sure the dancers stay under control. It\u2019s a classic that dancers love. A good way to change it is to have a different approach. When I danced, the approach would be different every night. I think every dancer can make it special and different every day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that never changes is the audiences\u2019 love for \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d It is a spectacular production that turns everyone\u2014adults, children and seniors\u2014into wide-eyed kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole process makes it feel like it\u2019s Christmas,\u201d said Corella. \u201cThere is hot chocolate. It\u2019s snowing outside. The whole family is there and time seems to stop. It goes back to a certain place and time that everyone seems to recognize\u2014being able to re-connect and share.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Pennsylvania Ballet\u2019s \u201cGeorge Balanchine\u2019s The Nutcracker\u201d\u2014https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6j4HATkhrSY<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Performances are scheduled for December 17 and 18 at noon and 5 p.m., December 22 at 7 p.m., December 23 at 2 and 7 p.m., December 24 at noon, December 26 at noon and 5 p.m., December 27 at 2 p.m., December 28 at 5 p.m., December 29 at 2 p.m., December 30 at noon and 5 p.m. and\u00a0December 31 at noon. Ticket prices range from $35 -$150.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Brandywine Ballet’s The Nutcracker.<\/p><\/div>\n

Another top-flight production of the classic ballet \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d is presented by the Brandywine Ballet. The 2016 production marks the 37th year the local company has been presenting its version of \u201cThe Nutcracker.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The ballet is based on the timeless tale \u201cThe Nutcracker and The Mouse King\u201d and set to a score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. With its familiar music and energetic dance numbers, \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d is a show that appeals to audiences of all ages.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brandywine Ballet\u2019s \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d is a professional show that features skilled dancers, lively choreography, colorful costumes and sparkling sets. The show will run now through December 18 at West Chester University\u2019s Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall (700 South High Street, West Chester, 610-696-2711, www.brandywineballet.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Performances of the ballet are scheduled for December 17 at noon and 4 p.m., and December 18 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25, $35 and $45.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brandywine Ballet will also host a \u201cNutcracker Tea\u201d on December 17 at 2:30 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

This festive activity, which will be held in the library of Asplundh Hall, is an opportunity for youngsters to join Clara, The Sugar Plum Fairy and other characters of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d for a special pre-performance brunch featuring tea sandwiches, fruit tray, cookies and favors. Tickets for the tea event are $30 and are sold separately from the performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/span><\/a>) is hosting a trio of performances of \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d by the First State Ballet Theatre this weekend. Performances are scheduled for 2 and 7 p.m. on December 17 and 2 p.m. on December 18.<\/span><\/p>\n

The holiday show at the New Freedom Theatre (1346 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, 888-802-8998, freedomtheatre.org<\/span><\/a>) is special for a number of reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The show \u2013 \u201cBlack Nativity: An African Musical Play\u201d \u2013 is the opening production of the theater\u2019s 50<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> anniversary season.<\/span><\/p>\n

The holiday show, which is running now through December 18, was written, directed and choreographed by New Freedom Theatre\u2019s new artistic director Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Using a combination of gospel music, African music and traditional carols, Maharaj\u2019s modern activist lens brings a powerful new take on a classic tale.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBlack Nativity: An African Musical Play\u201d made its world premiere at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in a co-production with the Congo Square Theatre Company.\u00a0 For this production, New Freedom Theatre is partnering with Save Darfur and What\u2019s Up Africa to foster dialogue through a series of talk backs after the show and to raise funds to send aid to Darfur.<\/span><\/p>\n

Set in modern day Darfur, this musical play tells the parallel stories of two couples \u2013 Biblical Mary and Joseph, and a couple with the same names having a baby and living in a Darfur refugee camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was about 11 years ago when I had the opportunity to travel to Africa,\u201d said Maharaj, during a recent phone interview from the theater in North Philly. \u201cI went to the Darfur region of Sudan and met women who had been attacked by Janjaweed, a militia group that has been terrorizing Darfur for years. I interviewed women who had survived attacks from Janjaweed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That experience was the inspiration for this show which is set in Sudan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe events take place in modern-day Darfur and tells parallel stories of two couples,\u201d said Maharaj. \u201cThere are Biblical Mary and Joseph, and a couple with the same names having a baby and living in a Darfur refugee camp.\u00a0 Darfur Mary is heavily pregnant and has just gone into labor. Her husband, Darfur Joseph, has been missing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Mary refuses to give birth until her husband has returned safely, she is visited by the angel Gabriel who takes her back in time to the evening of the birth of the Christ child. Upon meeting Biblical Mary and Biblical Joseph, Darfur Mary is challenged to trust in God\u2019s grace and power to get her through the birth of her child and the hardships that come with living in modern day Darfur. With her newfound faith, Darfur Mary returns to the present and gives birth to her own child.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The show is a blend of holiday traditions and political activism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt features Christmas songs and spectacles taken through African music,\u201d said Maharaj. \u201cIt\u2019s set at Christmas time at a United Nations mission camp in Darfur.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe region of Sudan known as Darfur has been wracked with war and genocide for decades, with the Janjaweed troops terrorizing the region as they rape women and brutally murder men and children.\u00a0By bringing together the conflict and challenges faced by those in Darfur on a daily basis with the challenges faced by Biblical Mary and Joseph in birthing Christ, the play reminds us of the universality of motherhood, love and hope.\u00a0 By finding healing through faith and a common ground, it brings us back to what the holiday season is all about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

New Freedom Theatre\u2019s 50th Anniversary season continues with the Philadelphia premiere of \u201cMother Emanuel: An American Musical Play\u201d (April 12-23) and the Tony Award-winning blockbuster \u201cDreamgirls\u201d (June 14-25).<\/span><\/p>\n

Founded in 1966 by John E. Allen, Jr. New Freedom Theatre is Pennsylvania\u2019s oldest African American theater and one of only five in the nation whose mission supports the African American dramatic arts, producing both new and established plays. New Freedom Theatre is housed in the historic Edwin Forrest Mansion at Broad and Master Streets.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Walnut Street Theatre Company (825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-574-3550, http:\/\/walnutstreettheatre.org\/<\/span><\/a>) has two holiday shows and one family-oriented production running this holiday season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dylan Thomas\u2019 \u201cA Child\u2019s Christmas in Wales\u201d is running through December 23. Walnut Street Theatre for Kids\u2019 production of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d is also running through December 23. And, the classic favorite The Wizard of Oz\u201d is being performed now through January 8.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Delaware Theatre Company (200 Water Street Wilmington, Delaware, 302-594-1104, delawaretheatre.org<\/span><\/a>) is presenting its production of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d again this season. The popular holiday show is scheduled to run now through December 30.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times\u00a0 For many families, going to a theater to watch a live on-stage production of a holiday show is an annual tradition \u2013 especially shows such as \u201cA Christmas Carol,\u201d \u201cBest Christmas Ever\u201d and various plays based on the Nativity scene. Without a doubt, the most popular holiday productions are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[4550,8335,6518,8334,7072],"class_list":["post-22461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-brandywine-ballet","tag-delaware-theater-company","tag-featured","tag-new-freedom-theatre","tag-pennsylvania-ballet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22462,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22461\/revisions\/22462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}