UPDATE: DEC. 23, 2021
The Joffrey Ballet announced Thursday the cancellation of the remainder of its performances of The Nutcracker, Thursday, Dec. 23 through Sunday, Dec. 26, due to breakthrough cases of COVID-19 within the company ranks. The decision was made as part of Joffrey’s commitment to full transparency and to the health and safety of our company artists, musicians, students, production crew and audience members.
Ticket holders will have the option to transfer the value their ticket purchase to a subscription or future production, make a tax-deductible donation for The Joffrey Ballet Annual Fund, or receive a refund. More information can be found here.
CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Joffrey Ballet announced Monday the return of the critically-acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon; as part of Joffrey’s first-ever season at the historic Lyric Opera House.
“After a year away from the stage, The Nutcracker makes its long-awaited debut on the grand Lyric Opera stage for an enchanted homecoming celebration that is sure to inspire holiday joy throughout Chicago and beyond,” said Greg Cameron, President and CEO. “There is something special about the magic of The Nutcracker, and we look forward to bringing it to life once again for Chicago and audiences everywhere.”
The critically-acclaimed holiday classic highlighting Chicago’s famous World’s Fair of 1893 will be readapted for its debut at the Lyric Opera House, located at 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, in 26 performances, from Dec. 4 through Dec. 26.
"The Nutcracker is a celebration of the optimistic spirit that allowed Chicago to rise from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire and produce the World’s Columbian Exposition 128 years ago,” said Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director. “We are thrilled to be able to present one of the world's most beloved holiday traditions at the Lyric Opera House for the first time and celebrate the tenacity that enables Chicagoans to overcome even the most extraordinary challenges.”
According to The Joffrey Ballet, Wheeldon’s American tale relocates Marie and her immigrant family to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, and opens as young Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the Fair’s iconic Statue of the Republic, host a festive Christmas Eve celebration. After a surprise visit from the mysterious Great Impresario, creator of the Fair, Marie embarks on a whirlwind adventure with the Nutcracker Prince through a dreamlike World’s Fair.
A ballet in two acts set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, The Nutcracker also features designs by an award-winning creative team, including Tony Award-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author and illustrator Brian Selznick, six-time Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy. The production is currently being adapted by Wheeldon to fit the larger Lyric Opera stage.
The Nutcracker features live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.
Schedule
The Joffrey Ballet performs The Nutcracker Saturday, Dec. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 26.
The full schedule is as follows:
• Saturday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 24 at 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Single tickets start at $35 and are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, located at 10 E. Randolph Street, by telephone at 312-386-8905, or online at joffrey.org.
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