The Fireside Nutcracker (Streaming Video Version)

• Choreographer: Choreography and concept by Terrence S. Orr
• Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky
• Costumes: Janet Groom Campbell
• World Premiere: December 17, 2020, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Video and Production services by LOOK Creative Guild.
• PBT Performance Date: December 17-31, 2020. Streaming video only - this production was never presented to a live audience. Dancers adhered to regulations regarding wearing of masks and social distancing during rehearsals and recording sessions.

Program Notes

The period March – December 2020 was greatly impacted by the COVID 19 Pandemic. This caused cancellation of live theater performances during that period. PBT Artistic Director, Susan Jaffe, described the evolution of this one-time virtual production in a special edition of a playbill that was available on the PBT website. Ms. Jaffe’s Message is reproduced below:

“Welcome and thank you so much for joining us for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Fireside Nutcracker!

In this unprecedented year of new norms in the theater world, we are thrilled to offer a virtual adaptation of this beloved ballet. For the first time ever, we were able to record our Nutcracker production and make it available to stream into homes everywhere. We filmed in October, in two locations over the period of just one month – a pretty incredible effort on the part of the dancers and our production team!

Act 2 was shot at the award-winning Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University, which was perfect for staging the spectacular dances in the Kingdom of the Sweets. For Act 1 our set was the historic Hartwood Acres Mansion – what a lovely and authentic location for the Stahlbaum’s home!

And our story this year includes a narrator – a grandfather spinning a tale for his granddaughter, taking us along with them on an enchanted journey from the festive holiday party to a beautiful and magical land.