"The Colonial Nutcracker" at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Company:
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College continues its 60th Anniversary Season with its annual holiday performance of Dance Theatre in Westchester’s The Colonial Nutcracker on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 2pm. Tickets are $15 each, and can be purchased at BrooklynCenter.org or by calling the box office at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm).
Created especially for families with children ages five to ten, The Colonial Nutcracker sets Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet in wintry colonial Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. The production features classics such as “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” a red-coated mouse army, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and compelling narration that will enhance young viewers’ understanding and enjoyment of this timeless story. Rose Menes’ delightful staging and choreography, coupled with colorful costumes and Tchaikovsky’s enduring score, will captivate audiences of all ages. The running time is approximately 2 hours plus an intermission.
In addition to The Colonial Nutcracker, Brooklyn Center’s 2014-15 family performances include the Target Storybook Series of performances based on classic and contemporary children’s literature, with titles including The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon (Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 2pm); The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites (Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 2pm); Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy’s Big Adventure (Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 12pm and 3pm); and The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley (Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 2pm). This series aims to encourage the development of strong reading skills at home in children ages four to eight. Online resources, such as literacy-based activity sheets and Parents’ Guides, will give parents the opportunity to engage their children prior to attending the performances, and then again after seeing each show.
Other family-friendly shows at Brooklyn Center this season include a Lunar New Year Celebration by Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company (Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 3pm), The Golden Dragon Acrobats (Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 2pm), and two free family events, The Beauty of Ballet in partnership with the School of American Ballet (Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 2pm) and the Eighth Annual National Grid Earth Day Celebration (Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 3pm). Family programming ticket prices range from free to $25, with a 50% discount available to children 12 and under for select performances.
About Dance Theatre in Westchester
Dance Theatre in Westchester is a professional company founded in 1979 by Artistic Director Rose Menes. With a repertoire that includes The Colonial Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Peter and the Wolf, and Cinderella, the company engages both professional dancers from around the world as well as talented students from throughout the tri-state area for its ballets. In addition to creating all of the staging and choreography for her company, Ms. Menes has also choreographed several operas including The Merry Widow, Faust, and Orfeo ed Eurydice at theaters ranging from the Williams Center for the Performing Arts in New Jersey to the Anchorage Opera in Alaska.
Multibuy discounts (four or more shows) save 15% off individual ticket prices (some restrictions apply). Discounts also available for seniors, students, Brooklyn College faculty/staff/alumni, and groups. $10 student rush tickets available day-of-show.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue
Online orders: BrooklynCenter.org
Box Office: 718-951-4500, Tuesday-Saturday, 1pm-6pm
Groups of 15 or more: 718-951-4600 x3331
About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1954, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College presents outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn’s diverse communities, at affordable prices. Each season, Brooklyn Center welcomes over 65,000 people to the 2,400 seat Walt Whitman Theatre, including up to 45,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools who attend their SchoolTime series, one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the borough. In recognition of its commitment to quality family programming, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts has been recognized as both Brooklyn’s Best Theater or Theater Group for Kids and Brooklyn’s Best Place for Family Bonding by ParentsConnect Parents’ Picks Awards. In 2014-15, Brooklyn Center celebrates its 60th Anniversary Season of presenting world-class performances on the Brooklyn College campus.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ programs are supported, in part, by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Major support for the 2014-15 season is provided by: Brooklyn College, Target, Con Edison, TD Bank, National Grid, the Macy’s Foundation, the Herman Goldman Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Jazz Touring Network, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, Inc., and the TD Charitable Foundation. Additional support provided by CNG Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, WFUV, and WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM. The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Brooklyn is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center’s 60th Anniversary Season. Backstage catering is graciously provided by Applebee’s.
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges generous support from New York State Assembly members Rhoda Jacobs, Alan Maisel, Félix Ortiz, Annette Robinson, and Helene Weinstein, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl.
