November 2006 - Nr. 11

The Nutcracker Begins
December 9

Toronto, Ontario...The National Ballet of Canada’s The Nutcracker will have its first performance in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on December 9, with 24 performances to December 30, 2006.

Advance sales for Toronto’s favourite holiday tradition are very strong with the opening weekend already at over 90% capacity.

Principal Dancers Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté will dance the lead roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Peter/The Nutcracker for the opening performance on December 9 at 2 pm and Greta Hodgkinson and Aleksandar Antonijevic will dance at 7:30 pm. Principal Dancer Zdenek Konvalina will make his debut as Peter/The Nutcracker on Dec. 15 and Second Soloist Bridgett Zehr will make her debut as Sugar Plum Fairy on December 14. Both dancers joined the company this past fall from Houston Ballet.

The annual Nutcracker Open House will take place on December 9 at 11:30 am. The event features holiday activities for the whole family throughout the Four Seasons Centre, with characters from The Nutcracker making special appearances. The open house is free of charge to ticket buyers of the 2 pm performance.

Nutcracker Story Time will continue this year, beginning 45 minutes prior to every performance. The engaging, interactive telling of The Nutcracker story will take place in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the Four Seasons Centre.

Specially priced Holiday Packs of four tickets are available throughout the run for all seats in the theatre.

David Briskin, Principal Conductor and Music Director for The National Ballet of Canada, will share conducting duties with Judith Yan, guest conductor. Ms. Yan recently served as staff conductor with San Francisco Opera.

The 2006/2007 season is dedicated to the founder of The National Ballet of Canada, Celia Franca, who served as Artistic Director of the company for 24 years

Sugar Plum Fairy
Heather Ogden (Dec. 9 at 2 pm/ Dec. 10 at 1 pm)
Greta Hodgkinson (Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm)
Chan Hon Goh (Dec. 13 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 16 at 2 pm)
Bridgett Zehr* (Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm)
Sonia Rodriguez (Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 17 at 1 pm/
Dec. 23 at 2 pm/ Dec. 29 at 1 pm)
Rebekah Rimsay (Dec. 17 at 5:30 pm/Dec. 22 at 7:30 pm)
Jillian Vanstone (Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 2 pm)
Stacey Shiori Minagawa (Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm/Dec. 27 at 1 pm/ Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm)

Peter/ The Nutcracker
Guillaume Côté (Dec. 9 at 2 pm/ Dec. 10 at 1 pm)
Aleksandar Antonijevic (Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm)
Piotr Stanczyk (Dec. 13 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 16 at 2 pm/
Dec. 17 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 22 at 7:30 pm)
Nehemiah Kish (Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm)
Zdenek Konvalina* (Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 17 at 1 pm/
Dec. 23 at 2 pm/ Dec. 29 at 1 pm)
Keiichi Hirano (Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 2 pm)
Richard Landry (Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 27 at 1 pm/ Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm)

Snow Queen and Icicles
Stacey Shiori Minagawa, Richard Landry, Dong Hyun Seo  (Dec. 9 at 2 pm/ Dec. 10 at 1 pm)
Jennifer Fournier, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie
(Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm)
Heather Ogden, Etienne Lavigne, Nehemiah Kish
(Dec. 13 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 16 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm/
Dec. 17 at 5:30 pm)
Stephanie Hutchison, Keiichi Hirano, Patrick Lavoie
(Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 17 at 1 pm/ Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 22 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 27 at 1 pm/ Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm)
Tanya Howard, Richard Landry, Dong Hyun Seo
(Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 23 at 2 pm/ Dec. 29 at 1 pm/
　Dec. 30 at 2 pm)
Xiao Nan Yu, Etienne Lavigne, Nehemiah Kish
(Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm)
Xiao Nan Yu, Etienne Lavigne, Patrick Lavoie
(Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm/Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm)

Baba
Victoria Bertram (Dec. 9 at 2 pm/ Dec 10 at 1 pm/
Dec. 13 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 17 at 1 pm/
Dec. 23 at 2 pm/ Dec. 27 at 1 pm/ Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm)
Lorna Geddes (Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm/Dec. 29 at 1 pm/ Dec. 30 at 2 pm)
Alejandra Perez-Gomez* (Dec. 16 at 2 pm/ Dec. 17 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 22 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm)

Uncle Nikolai
Kevin Bowles (Dec. 9 at 2 pm/ Dec. 10 at 1 pm/ Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm)
Piotr Stanczyk (Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 10 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 19 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 27 at 1 pm/ Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm)
Adam Toth (Dec. 13 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 16 at 2 pm/ Dec. 17 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm/ Dec. 22 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 23 at 2 pm/ Dec. 29 at 1 pm/ Dec. 30 at 2 pm)
Ryan Boorne* (Dec. 14 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 15 at 7:30 pm/
Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm/ Dec. 27 at 5:30 pm/ Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm/
Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm)

*Debut. All casting subject to change.

Saturday, December 9 at 2 pm* and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 10 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm
Wednesday, December 13 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, December 14 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 15 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 16 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 17 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm
Tuesday, December 19 at 7:30 pm
Wednesday, December 20 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, December 21 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 22 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 23 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
Wednesday, December 27 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm
Thursday, December 28 at 7:30 pm
Friday, December 29 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm
Saturday, December 30 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm

*Nutcracker Open House begins at 11:30 am

Nutcracker Story Time begins 45 minutes prior to curtain for every performance.

Prices range from $41 - $110 for adults, and $31 - $99 for children. Holiday packs can be purchased from $139 - $371. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Four Seasons Centre　Box Office　or by calling 416 (toll free 1-866) 345-9595. Tickets can also be purchased on line at www.thenutcracker.ca

Limited Rush Seats available for $30 on the day of the performance, beginning at 11 am in person, at the Four Seasons Centre box office.

Discount rates are available for groups of 10 people or more.

Made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra & Jim Pitblado, Lawrence and Ann Heisey and an anonymous friend of the National Ballet.

The inaugural season is presented by CTV Bell Globe Media.

TD Waterhouse presents The Nutcracker and Nutcracker Story Time.

The Nutcracker Open House and December 9 matinee performance are sponsored by RBC.

Performance Sponsor:
St. Joseph Communications - December 10 matinee

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department; The Government of Canada through the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of Ontario　through the Honourable Caroline Di Cocco, Minister of Culture.

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