Ballet Hawaii presents historic island Nutcracker for the holidays

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Ballet Hawaii announces its annual Nutcracker performances for this December which continue with a unique historical theme. Tchaikovsky's classic ballet will once again be set in the 1858 Kingdom of Hawaii. Four performances are scheduled at Blaisdell Concert Hall Friday through Sunday, December 15, 16 and 17.

Ballet Hawaii welcomes back guest artists Megan Fairchild and Joaquin DeLuz from New York City Ballet and Lesley Rausch with Lucien Postlewaite from Pacific Northwest Ballet. Montreal's Luis Torres-Ortiz will play the character Drosselmeyer while John Dominis will be portrayed by veteran performer John Selya, also visiting from New York. This impressive cast of over 175 dancers will be accompanied by The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra.

"We are delighted that Ballet Hawaii will once again present Nutcracker with the grandeur and elegance of old Hawaii," said Pamela Taylor Tongg, Ballet Hawaii artistic director. "Audiences can enjoy all of the traditional holiday dance performances with historical characterizations of Washington Place resident Mary Dominis and Hawaii's beloved Queen Lili'uokalani. The ballet still follows the imaginary adventures of a young girl and her nutcracker prince as they battle classic villains and thrill to fantastic experiences across a magical kingdom. But surprises abound with the inclusion of cultural influences present in 1858 Hawaii. Audiences will be awed by the dramatic, historically-correct scenery designed by Holly Highfill with Gary Flowers and lit by Trad A. Burns. And gorgeous costume design has been provided by Christine Darch, Kini Zamora and Anne Namba."

Executive director John Parkinson elaborates "Where else but in Hawaii could we create such a wonderful fusion of the traditional story of Nutcracker and blend it with the rich history of the Islands in such a wonderful, engaging way. All performances sold out quickly last year and received great acclaim so we added a fourth show."

Ballet Hawaii Nutcracker schedule at Blaisdell Concert Hall: Friday, December 15, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 16, at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 17, at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $39 to $120 and can be purchased at Blaisdell Box Office as well as other Ticketmaster locations. For more information, visit ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.

Two weeks prior to performances, a Nutcracker Tea event will take place at Neiman Marcus on Sunday, December 3 at 3:00 p.m. featuring tea, VIP ticket and reserved parking. An Opening Night VIP Dinner Package is featured at Chef Chai on Friday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m. including dinner, VIP ticket and reserved parking. For Tea or Dinner reservations, call 521-8600 Extension 104.

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