Editor’s note: This performance will now be available livestream only. In-person performances have been canceled.
From TOLEDO BALLET
The Toledo Ballet will dedicate this year’s 80th Nutcracker, the longest-running annual production in the nation, to Marie Bollinger-Vogt, Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Toledo Ballet. Presented with five performances on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec.12, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Toledo Ballet is offering limited in-person and a livestreaming ticket option, now available to the general public. The Saturday evening and Sunday matinee will be livestreamed through TAPA Streaming.
“I am thrilled that we will be performing our 80th Nutcracker, both live in-person and on our new streaming platform this December,” says Lisa Mayer-Lang, Artistic Director for Toledo Ballet. “Though it will look a little different than our usual Nutcracker because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel it is important to continue our annual tradition in this monumental year and to celebrate our annual tradition by implementing masks as well as a smaller cast so that we can perform as safely as possible for our beloved Toledo region audience members.”
Toledo Ballet’s Nutcracker is a long-standing holiday tradition that tells the magical story of a young girl, her Nutcracker Prince, and their adventures with toy soldiers, mice, dancing snowflakes, and a Sugar Plum Fairy in the dazzling Land of Sweets. To honor the life and work of Marie Bollinger-Vogt, the lead role will be Marie, rather than the traditional Clara, in this year’s production.
“As our world seems evermore detached from familiar customs, we are proud to be one of the very few Nutcracker productions in the country this season,” says Zak Vassar, President & CEO of the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts. “In our 80th consecutive year of presenting this holiday gem, we know the impact that this delightful story has on our community. This will be the first Nutcracker that we stage without ‘Madame’ Marie Vogt, our beloved founder of Toledo Ballet who passed away in June. In presenting this year’s production, we celebrate Marie’s vision, hold her memory close, and celebrate the many generations of dancers whom she inspired.”
Guest appearances in this year’s production include BalletMet Principal dancers Caitlin Valentine-Ellis and Miguel Anaya as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. Toledo Ballet will also pay tribute to local healthcare workers and first responders who have been on the front line throughout the coronavirus pandemic and invite them to star as Mother Ginger. The names of these healthcare workers will be announced at a later date.
HOW TO WATCH:
What: Toledo Ballet’s 80th Anniversary Nutcracker: A Tribute to Marie Bollinger-Vogt
When: Friday, Dec. 11 (7 p.m.), Saturday, Dec. 12 (2 and 7 p.m.), Sunday, December 13 (1 and 5 p.m.)
Where: Stranahan Theater
Cost: In-person tickets begin at $42. Livestreaming tickets (Dec. 12, 7 p.m. & Dec. 13, 1 p.m.) begin at $35.
More info: Visit toledoballet.com, stop by the TAPA Box Office located at 1838 Parkwood Avenue, or call 419.246.8000, Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM.
This year’s production will be choreographed to a previously recorded soundtrack that was performed in collaboration with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director Alain Trudel.
For more information about Toledo Ballet’s 80th Anniversary Nutcracker, please contact Vanessa Gardner, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts at vgardner@artstoledo.com.
