Carolina Ballet Celebrates The Holiday Season With The Magic Of The Nutcracker

Local Professional Ballet Company Performs The Nutcracker In Three Locations Beginning Thanksgiving Weekend

2012-11-14

RALEIGH, NC, November 14, 2012 (Press-News.org) Robert Weiss, artistic director and CEO of Carolina Ballet (http://www.carolinaballet.com), has announced that the company will perform the holiday favorite, The Nutcracker, in three locations this year beginning Thanksgiving weekend. With the success of the company's "new" rendition of The Nutcracker last season, Weiss decided to expand the run of the annual holiday favorite for Carolina Ballet's 15th anniversary season. Carolina Ballet will present The Nutcracker, accompanied by a live orchestra for all performances, at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium (RMA) Friday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Dec. 14 through Sunday, Dec. 23; at Memorial Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2; and at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) on Saturday, Dec. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 30. The performance schedule is as follows:

At RMA
- Friday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, Dec.14 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec.16 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 18 through Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m.

At UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall
- Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.

At DPAC
- Saturday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.

After 10 successful seasons of presenting nearly 200 performances of Carolina Ballet's traditional The Nutcracker, in 2011 artistic director Robert Weiss decided to make some changes to the annual holiday program with new scenery, designed by Jeff A.R. Jones, and grand illusions for the Party Scene of Act I. Weiss approached several magicians with his idea and found Rick Thomas, one of the top magicians working in Las Vegas, who would offer the "wow factor" Weiss wanted without taking anything away from the elegance of the Victorian Christmas Eve scene. Besides having been in the magic business with nightly shows in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, Thomas and his sister had been junior ballroom dancing champions, giving him a true appreciation for music and dance. He was clear from the outset that he was not going to create a magic show, but rather weave magic into the story, as part of the dance. The News & Observer commended the balance, with critics awestruck by the new set and fascinating illusions.

The Party Scene in Act I of The Nutcracker centers on the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, a toymaker and godfather to the Stahlbaum's daughter, Clara. He arrives at the party with his nephew and proceeds to entertain the guests with wonderful illusions, grand scale magic replacing the standard parlor tricks. It culminates with a special guest appearing out of a giant book to give Clara the Nutcracker doll Drosselmeyer has made for her. As Tchaikovsky wrote the magic sections into the original score, adding "real" magic to the scene is not changing anything - it is just enhancing what was already there.

There is plenty of other magic behind the scenes getting The Nutcracker ready. In early September, more than 200 children auditioned for a role in The Nutcracker. There are 67 roles for children in the cast which includes the party children, truffles, soldiers, mice, gingerbread cookies, Arabian attendants, and Clara and her little brother, Fritz.

Rehearsals begin right after the auditions, with Lori Christman Bourtasenkov, former soloist with Carolina Ballet, working her own magic throughout the fall to get the 130-plus children ready for the stage. Weiss acknowledges how hard the children work to become a part of the cast, practicing often and learning all of their spots and moves. The professional dancers of Carolina Ballet are the glitz and the glamour, but the children are an integral part. Without the children, there would be no The Nutcracker.

Ticket prices for The Nutcracker range from $20 to $80 and may be purchased by calling the Carolina Ballet box office at (919) 719-0900, through Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or at Carolina Ballet's website, http://www.carolinaballet.com. Tickets for the performances UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall are available through contacting Carolina Performing Arts by calling (919) 834-3333 or visiting http://www.carolinaperformingarts.org.

QUOTES:
"We are very excited to bring back our revamped The Nutcracker this year, with even more performances," said Weiss. "Thomas was the perfect choice to transform the magic of the show, and of course, the children are really at the heart of it. They work so hard - for many of them, it is a dream come true to perform in The Nutcracker, and they really complete the experience."

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
Carolina Ballet Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/CarolinaBallet

Carolina Ballet Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/#!/CarolinaBallet

Carolina Ballet Meetup page:
http://www.meetup.com/dance-507/

Carolina Ballet Pinterest page:
http://pinterest.com/carolinaballet/

ABOUT CAROLINA BALLET:
Carolina Ballet is a world-class professional ballet company based in Raleigh, N.C. Since its professional launch in 1998 under the leadership of Artistic Director/CEO Robert Weiss, the company has staged more than 80 world premiere ballets, toured internationally in China and Hungary, and has been acclaimed as one of the premiere arts organizations in the country. The mission of Carolina Ballet is to entertain and enlighten audiences in Raleigh, the greater Triangle area, North Carolina and beyond. The organization seeks to accomplish this mission by presenting traditional ballets of legendary masters; commissioning new works by innovative choreographers; educating current and future audiences through programs for school-aged children and other performance outreach activities; and attracting, developing, and retaining excellent dancers and artistic personnel, combined with a fiscally responsible management and board of directors. For more information, please visit http://www.carolinaballet.com or call (919) 719-0800.

Emily Packard
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
emily@mmipublicrelations.com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Brasco Design + Marketing Partners With Riley Life Logistics For Logo And Website Design Project

2012-11-14

Brandon Ives, managing partner and marketing strategist for Brasco Design + Marketing (http://www.brascomarketing.com/index.html), has announced that the firm has partnered with Riley Life Logistics (http://www.rileylife.com/), a company based in Raleigh, N.C., that provides specialized fulfillment solutions for brand conscious companies wanting a better experience for their customers, to help Riley Life Logistics rebrand the company as it prepares to launch a new corporate identity. Brasco Design + Marketing is assisting Riley Life Logistics in revamping its brand identity ...

New Barrie Business Caters to Single-Serve Coffee Lovers

2012-11-14

A new business is opening in Barrie on November 17, 2012 which caters to single-serve coffee lovers. Java Cup Co., located at 112 Saunders Road will sell over 700 different coffees, teas and other hot beverages. In addition, single-serve home brewing systems like Tassimo and Keurig will be available for purchase. Owner Patrice Shennette is a former Barrie resident who returns to the area after 25 years. An entrepreneur with over 20 years of retail and franchising experience, Shennette is excited to open the business and contribute to the growing local economy. "At ...

Kroger Launches "Hiring Our Heroes" Military Recruiting Initiative

2012-11-14

The Kroger Co. (http://www.kroger.com/), the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer with 16 stores throughout the Triangle and North Carolina, has announced a military recruitment initiative known as "Hiring Our Heroes," which focuses on hiring veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces to work at its stores. "Hiring Our Heroes" runs as an extension of the company's "Honoring Our Heroes" program, which aims to support the military and their families through a variety of in-store and online activities. Kroger's has joined forces with several ...

Marlene Verwey Releases Debut Solo Album 'A Flute Affair'

2012-11-14

Documenting her already shining career, it is amazing to look back upon Verwey's rather humble beginnings in comparison to her present status. Growing up on the farm, Verwey quickly took to her instrument. Her talents soon led her across the globe, studying under such figures as the former principal Flutist of the New York Philharmonic, Jeanne Baxtresser, and international soloist Raffaele Trevisani, as well as working alongside musicians from the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden and the British Youth Opera. Subsequently, Verwey received ...

Verax Systems Signs Strategic Partnership with RFD & Associates to Deploy Verax Integrated OSS/BSS & IT Management Suite Solutions

2012-11-14

Verax Systems Corp., a leading provider of software enabling end-to-end IT & Telco service delivery, assurance and compliance, has concluded an agreement with RFD & Associates, an Austin, Texas-based leader in custom software engineering, systems integration, data management, legacy application modernization, software requirements, testing and training. As part of the agreement, RFD & Associates is licensed to provide Verax Systems OSS/BSS and IT Management Suite products to its growing telecommunications and enterprise customer segments. "We are pleased ...

Refuge Reveals Stunning Stats as it Celebrates its First Anniversary

2012-11-14

November 11th marks the one-year anniversary of Refuge, Carmel's wildly popular day spa that has introduced a simple, effective, and affordable way to relax. In just one year more than 22,000 guests (60% of those from out of town) walked into Refuge to remedy weary minds and bodies. The draw of Refuge is its wide variety of amenities, including the largest co-ed cedar sauna in America, a eucalyptus steam room, multiple Nordic cool and hot pools with cascading thermal waterfalls, 4 indoor relaxation rooms, and 4 outdoor relaxation areas with fire pits and breathtaking ...

Jacks Mobile - New Mobile Marketing Company Changes the Way Businesses Make Money

2012-11-14

Jack's Mobile recognizes where the market is going and helps businesses shift their marketing and online presence to the mobile platform. Changing the way businesses are seen and making it easier for customers to find local businesses from their mobile device, and increasing revenue for their clients. Jack's Mobile comprises of a team of dedicated designers committed to a simplified approach to m-commerce by creating websites, applications and marketing campaigns targeted to the mobile user. Based in South Florida, Jack's Mobile services Nationwide and has worked with ...

MarketStorm Global Ltd Credit 'Business Culture' for Improved Productivity

2012-11-14

Leeds based event sales and marketing firm MarketStorm Global Ltd's Managing Director has made 'business culture' a priority within the firm who report a 12% increase in profit since last quarter. Gavin Walsh says 'I know that working in an environment where you feel valued will lead to higher productivity. I want the culture at MarketStorm Global Ltd to have a reputation for being a progressive and ambitious firm. We are fun, but we work relentlessly to obtain the best possible results for our clients. We have a strong level of integrity while being insanely competitive ...

Essential Enterprise Solutions, Inc. Introduces Cloud-based Solution for Medical Imaging Practices

2012-11-14

Essential Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (EESi), a medical imaging and DICOM storage solution provider, today announced the launch of a cloud-based imaging solution designed to help medical practices of all sizes securely access and store DICOM imaging studies. Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the EESi Imaging Cloud Solution gives physicians instant, on-premises access to current studies plus automatic transmission and synchronization of all studies to the cloud for back-up, archival and recovery. As part of this solution EESi has developed two new products, the Imaging ...

LionCase iPad Cases Unchained in Tablet2Cases.com Online Shop

2012-11-14

Tablet2Cases.com, the Internet's definitive resource on tablet cases, announces new iPad cases models reviews now available in its online shop from the LionCase line of electronics accessories. Founded in just 2011, this mobile accessory manufacturer has garnered some nice attention within the techie blogosphere and mainstream media for its LionCase tablet cases and carriers. Among the two dozen iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad with Retina display models available at the Tablet2Cases online shop are the following. - The LionCase NYHK Apple iPad 2/3/4 Folio Shield, an ultrathin ...

Carolina Ballet Celebrates The Holiday Season With The Magic Of The Nutcracker

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: