Very soon, you will be taken to the Kingdom of Snow and Land of the Sweets in The Nutcracker!
27 holiday performances at the Kauffman Center • Souvenir Photo Booth • Nutcracker Holiday Boutique
The scale of this production is impressive:
• Last year, Kansas City Ballet presented seven sold-out performances of The Nutcracker at the world-renowned John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to rave reviews.
“This bright, colorful production bursts forth on the stage with its abundance of joy and holiday cheer, which is immensely satisfying …” – DC Metro Arts
- Featuring dozens of colorful characters, Kansas City Ballet’s The Nutcracker is one of the region’s most successful presentations, all led by the extraordinary professional Kansas City Ballet Company, Second Company and 212 students selected from Kansas City Ballet School.
- Kansas City Ballet has been performing The Nutcracker annually since 1972.
- Kansas City Ballet engaged designers with international credentials to create this new The Nutcracker. The design team included Devon Carney (choreography), Holly Hynes (costumes), Alain Vaës (sets), and Trad A Burns (lighting).
- The production, which cost $2 million to create, took over one year to build, with four studios building sets and backdrops and 27 costume studios from all over the United States.
- The Sugar Plum Fairy tutu has 254 stones on it as well as velvet leaves hand-pressed over a fire. The lace on the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu cost $100/yard.
- The snow is made up of specially coated and cut paper and approximately 50 lbs. are used for each performance.
- Approximately 55 people work backstage to coordinate scenery, lighting, costumes and other duties during each performance.
- New this season is a family-friendly sensory performance, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. This special performance of The Nutcracker is geared towards children, families and adults with sensory sensitivities, autism spectrum disorder or other special needs. To learn more, click here.
- Kansas City Ballet Guild Nutcracker Boutique. When you attend, shop at the boutique for fun holiday items, including a variety of festive Nutcrackers and ornaments.
- Nutcracker Souvenir Photos are available in the lobby with characters before and after the show. To pre-purchase, click here.
- In 2015, The Nutcracker reached over 95% sold to capacity and $2.56 million in sales, smashing records and generating $700,000 more in ticket sales over the previous year.
- That same year 37,752 people of all ages attended The Nutcracker marking it as the highest attendance in its Kansas City Ballet history.
REHEARSAL TO STAGE: VIDEOS
Tickets are still available click here or call the Ballet Box Office at 816.931.8993.
Photography: Top image – Dancer Whitney Huell. Photographer: Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios.