New Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, performs Tchaikovsky’s popular score for this rare opportunity to see this holiday classic danced to live music
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 at 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec 15. New Philharmonic, under the baton 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.
Audience members arriving to their performance early can make their experience extra special by visiting with Santa, who will be in the lobby one hour before each performance and snapping selfies with the MAC’s majestic Christmas tree in the lobby.
Based on the classic story by Prussian author E.T.A Hoffman, Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” magical production has been a holiday tradition for many 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. This fantastical Christmas Eve culminates in a journey to a wonderous world filled with Sugar Plum Fairies and dancing snowflakes. Audiences will also be dazzled by a Christmas tree that grows nearly 60 feet tall, a Mouse King with a 10-foot tail, a Mother Ginger with a skirt spanning 8 feet wide and the cast of more than 80 dancers.
Guest artists 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.
Tickets
Salt Creek Ballet: “The Nutcracker” returns to the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, with performances at 1 and 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec. 15. Tickets are limited. Tickets are $46 for adults, $36 for kids. For tickets or more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000.
The MAC Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to performance. (Note: the Box Office will be closed on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28.)
About Salt Creek Ballet
Salt Creek Ballet is led by Artistic Director Erica De La O and Kristopher Wojtera.
Salt Creek Ballet, established in 1985, is a leading non-profit Chicagoland ballet school and performance company dedicated to dance education and pre-professional performances. Internationally known guest artists, choreographers, and designers work with Salt Creek Ballet to provide dancers and audiences with a professional level performance. Providing high-level opportunities to Chicago area dancers, Salt Creek Ballet’s alumni have become members of The Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Washington Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Joffrey Ballet. Encouraging appreciation and awareness of dance and education, the Salt Creek Ballet has successfully developed critical acclaim, sold-out performances, and a loyal following.
About New Philharmonic
New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, Ill., has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than four decades. New Philharmonic was recently honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2020 ICO Award in the category Programming of the Year. It continues to thrive with the goal of giving innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. Today, under the direction of Music Director/Conductor Kirk Muspratt, named 2018 Conductor of the Year (Professional Orchestra) by Illinois Council of Orchestras, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and typically performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually.
Season support for New Philharmonic is provided in part by the DuPage Foundation, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Brookdale Glen Ellyn; Sullivan Taylor Family Trust, Frank Modruson and Lynne Shigley, Anonymous, 90.9 FM WDCB Public Radio and the College of DuPage Foundation.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Share the Spirit of the Holiday
Nov. 14 – Dec. 21 the MAC Giving Tree, located in the MAC lobby, will be accepting food donations for COD Fuel Pantry and People’s Resource Center.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by Brookdale Senior Living Glen Ellyn, Anonymous, College of DuPage Foundation, Sullivan Taylor Family Trust, DuPage Foundation, Ball Horticultural, Frank Modruson & Lynne Shigley, Enjoy Illinois, Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Media Sponsor is WDCB 90.9 FM, Hotel Sponsor is DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
See you there?
