MAC Presents Salt Creek Ballet’s, “The Nutcracker,” with New Philharmonic on December 14 -15, 2024
This holiday season, the Salt Creek Ballet’s, The Nutcracker, under the direction of Artistic Directors Erica De La O and Kristopher Wojtera, returns to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) with performances on December 14 – 15, 2024. New Philharmonic, under the direction of Music Director/Conductor Kirk Muspratt, will perform Tchaikovsky’s score live for the rare opportunity to see The Nutcracker danced to live orchestral music.
Based on the classic story by Prussian author E.T.A Hoffman, Salt Creek Ballet’s The Nutcracker production has been a holiday tradition for nearly four decades. Their story tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who is gifted a toy nutcracker that comes to life and wages battle against the evil Mouse King, culminating in a Christmas Eve journey to a wonderous world filled with Sugar Plum Fairies and dancing snowflakes. Audiences will be amazed by the production’s Christmas tree that grows to nearly 60 feet, a 10 foot Mouse King, a Mother Ginger with a skirt spanning nearly 8 feet wide, and the cast of more than 80 dancers.
Performing in principal roles include Cuban-born and former member of the Cuban National Ballet Daynelis Munoz (Sugar Plum Fairy), 2019 winner of the Youth America Grand Prix International Ballet Competition Wilhelm Josue Gómez (Cavalier), former principal dancer with Fort Wayne Ballet Brandon Penn (Nutcracker Prince, Arabian), former principal dancer with Danza Contemporánea de Cuba Edson Cabrera (Mouse King), former Dayton Contemporary Dance Company member Ricardo J. Garcia (Dr. Drosselmeyer), and Salt Creek Ballet’s Luis Caro (Mother Ginger).
Featured Salt Creek Ballet students alternating in the role of Little Clara are Alice Barbashov, Emma Botha and Tatum Flanagan. Rotating in the role of Princess Clara are Alina Djordjevic, Sia Erter and Mia Meinkov. Noah Ring is featured as The Nutcracker, and Alina Djordjevic, Mia Meinkow and Carle Scurlock will alternate in the role of the Waltz of the Flowers Dew Drop Fairy.
Audience members should note that Santa will be visiting the MAC lobby one hour before each performance. The MAC Giving Tree will also be accepting food donations for the College of DuPage Fuel Pantry and People’s Resource Center in the MAC lobby until December 21, 2024.
For tickets and performance times of Salt Creek Ballet’s The Nutcracker, visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000, The McAninch Arts Center is located at 425 Fawell Blvd. Glen Ellyn, on the campus of College of DuPage.
