FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2015
MEDIA CONTACT
Gary Tucker
206.441.2426
[email protected]
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS
GEORGE BALANCHINE’S
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Scenic and Costume Design: Ian Falconer
Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls
November 27 – December 28, 2015
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center
Seattle, WA 98109
SEATTLE, WA – A new holiday tradition comes to Seattle! Pacific Northwest Ballet is excited to
premiere the centerpiece of its 2015/2016 season, a sparkling new production of George
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ featuring eye-popping colorful sets and costumes designed by
author/illustrator Ian Falconer (Olivia the Pig). PNB’s new production features Tchaikovsky’s
timeless score performed live by the mighty PNB Orchestra, and the beloved story of Clara, her
Nutcracker prince, and a magical journey to delight audiences both young and old.
PNB’s new production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ premieres at Seattle Center’s
McCaw Hall for 36 performances November 27 through December 28, 2015. Tickets may be
purchased through the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301
Mercer St. (Don’t get duped this holiday season: Be mindful of unauthorized third-party online ticket
resellers when ordering tickets for PNB’s production of The Nutcracker.)
“George Balanchine’s timeless production of The Nutcracker was my introduction to the wonders of
ballet when I was just five years old,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “I remember it like it
was only yesterday; the mighty mouse king, the towering tree, and the delicious Land of Sweets.
The magic of this ballet was evident from that moment. As a ten-year-old boy, I stepped onto the
stage for the first time as a member of the cast. To be able to present this new production is a true
honor and a dream come true. Watching our talented dancers perform Balanchine's singular,
enchanting choreography, seeing the exquisite craftsmanship of PNB’s artists in Ian Falconer's
whimsical designs, and hearing Tchaikovsky's magnificent score in the hands of our incomparable
PNB Orchestra is a triumph for all of us. I am so proud of PNB’s splendid new holiday tradition.”
With his work on George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™, designer Ian Falconer becomes PNB’s
second Artist-in-Residence (following Twyla Tharp). Mr. Falconer will be spending approximately
12 weeks in Seattle over the course of the year, working with PNB costumers, scenic artists,
dancers, and stagers, to bring this new production to life. At the end of the 2015/16 season, PNB
School will present two performances of Christopher Wheeldon’s Scènes de Ballet, featuring scenic
design by Mr. Falconer. “Ian’s blend of wit, wonder, and ingenuity fills the stage and delights the
viewer,” said Mr. Boal. “How lucky we are to have him as PNB’s second Artist-in-Residence.”
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, George Balanchine (choreography) is regarded as the foremost
contemporary ballet choreographer in the world. He came to the United States in 1933 at the
invitation of American arts patron Lincoln Kirstein (1907-96). The School of American Ballet was
founded in 1934, the first product of the Balanchine-Kirstein collaboration, and several ballet
companies directed by the two were created and dissolved in the years that followed. On October
11, 1948, New York City Ballet was born, and Mr. Balanchine served as its ballet master and
principal choreographer until his death. His more than 400 dance works include Serenade (1934),
Concerto Barocco (1941), Le Palais de Cristal, later renamed Symphony in C (1947), The Nutcracker
(1954), Agon (1957), Symphony in Three Movements (1972), Stravinsky Violin Concerto (1972), and
Vienna Waltzes (1977). He also choreographed for films, operas, revues, and musicals. Among his
best-known dances for the stage is Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, originally created for Broadway’s On
Your Toes (1936). A major artistic figure of the twentieth century, Mr. Balanchine revolutionized
the look of classical ballet. He quickened, expanded, streamlined, and inverted the fundamentals
of the 400-year-old language of academic dance. Although at first his style seemed particularly
suited to the energy and speed of American dancers, especially those he trained, his ballets are now
performed by every major classical ballet company in the world.
Ian Falconer (scenic and costume design) is an American illustrator, children's book author, and
costume and set designer for the theater. Born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Mr. Falconer graduated
from The Cambridge School of Weston, and went on to study painting at the Parsons School of
Design and Otis Art Institute. He has created 30 covers for The New Yorker as well as other
publications, and is widely known for the iconic Olivia children's book series, which features a
young pig and her many adventures. In the world of theater design, Mr. Falconer teamed up with
artist David Hockney, collaborating on the costume designs for the Los Angeles Opera production
of Tristan and Isolde (1987). He served as co-designer for sets and costumes with Mr. Hockney on
the Lyric Opera's production of Turandot (1992), and designed the costumes for The Royal Opera's
production of Die Frau Ohne Schatten at Covent Garden. In 1996, Mr. Falconer designed the sets
for The Atlantic Theater's Off-Broadway production of The Santaland Diaries, written by David
Sedaris. In 1999, he designed scenery and costumes for the Boston Ballet's production of Firebird,
choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Mr. Falconer designed scenery and costumes for Scènes
de Ballet (1999), and Variations Sérieuses (2001), both also choreographed by Mr. Wheeldon, for
New York City Ballet. In 2003, he designed sets and costumes for Stravinsky's Jeu de Cartes,
choreographed by Peter Martins. In 2008, Mr. Falconer completed the set design and oversaw the
installation for the operetta Veronique at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. The sets were widely
hailed for their use of classic stage sets married with complex moving film images, impressing
audiences with innovative theatrical optical illusions.
James F. Ingalls (lighting design) studied stage management at Yale School of Drama, and went on
to work as a stage manager for Yale Repertory Theatre and the Twyla Tharp Dance Company,
before turning to lighting design for opera, theater, and dance. He was the Resident Lighting
Designer for the American Repertory Theater from 1981-1984 and has worked frequently with
theater director Peter Sellars. Mr. Ingalls’ work for dance companies includes designs for American
Ballet Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Mark Morris Dance
Group, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Paul
Taylor Dance Company, and San Francisco Ballet, among others. He collaborates frequently with
the Wooden Floor Dancers in Santa Ana, California. Mr. Ingalls is the recipient of several DramaLogue Awards, the Obie for sustained excellence in lighting design, and a National Theater Artist
Residency Grant.
SPONSOR THANKS
It takes a village to create a new holiday tradition: Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of George
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ is made possible through the generosity of Dan & Pam Baty’s
principal support, with major support provided by Patty Edwards, Carl & Renee Behnke, and
Peter & Peggy Horvitz, along with donations from over 600 other individuals. PNB’s premiere of
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ also receives ongoing support from its Title Sponsor
Alaska Airlines, as well as Major Sponsors Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and Swedish Pediatrics, and
Sleigh Sponsor Chaplin’s Bellevue Subaru. The works of George Balanchine performed by Pacific
Northwest Ballet are made possible in part by The Louise Nadeau Fund.
And PNB is honored and excited to announce that the prominent Christmas star that appears at
the end of Act I will be presented by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Winter Star, a spectacular work
of art from Chihuly’s popular Chandelier series, will make a stunning addition to the famed Snow
scene. With significant historical provenance, Winter Star debuted as part of the artist’s iconic
Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000 exhibition, and has also been exhibited at the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew (near London) and New York Botanical Garden.
FUN FACTS & FIGURES ABOUT PNB’s NEW PRODUCTION
99.97% of PNB’s new production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ was built entirely by
artisans, craftspeople, carpenters, painters, and animators in Seattle, WA.
Over 50 drapers, stitchers, first hands, milliners, dyers and painters have built the new costumes.
PNB’s shop was not large enough to accommodate the number of costumers required, so some of
the costumes were constructed at the Seattle Children’s Theater and Seattle Repertory Theatre
costume shops. There are 154 costumes in the show, not counting duplicates (i.e., multiple
versions of the same costume, for different-sized dancers playing the same role – Sugar Plum Fairy,
Cavalier, Dewdrop, etc.)
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There are 174 velvet diamonds and 322 jewels on the Harlequin costume.
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640: Black pompoms on the eight Polichinelle costumes.
697: Petals on the Waltz of the Flowers costumes.
10 feet and 60 pounds: The width and weight of Mother Ginger’s skirt.
175: Number of snaps on the Mother Ginger costume.
4,000: Holes cut by hand to create the lace “doily” tutus and headpieces for the Marzipan
costumes.
300: Jewels hand-sewn on the two Arabian (peacock) headpieces.
500: Yards of tubular horsehair used for the Party Mothers’ hairpieces.
1,428: Cabochons sewn onto the Spanish women’s costumes.
2,568: Appliques machine-sewn on the seven Spanish dresses.
35 men and women in the PNB Scene shop built and painted the sets and props. Construction
began in July of 2014.
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There are 22 painted drops.
3,000 square yards of fabric were used in the creation of the scenery.
343 gallons of paint were used in the painting of the scenery.
The corridor scrim at the top of the show depicts Nutcracker historical figures Alexander
Dumas, E.T.A. Hoffman, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, George
Balanchine, and Lincoln Kirstein.
An actual walnut was used to model the construction and painting of the Nut Boat.
It took 400 hours to build the Christmas tree. At its full height it stands 40 feet. There
are 450 lights on it.
30 cubic feet of “snow” will be deployed during the Act I Snow scene, per performance.
The animated video that accompanies the Nutcracker overture was created by Straightface Studios
located in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle.
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Production on the 3d animated work began in June 2015: The finished product features
over 200,000 frames rendered on approximately two dozen computers. (It would take 600
days of rendering on one computer.)
The town in the video is inspired by antique mid-19th Century maps and satellite images
of New England. The terrain covers 372 square miles.
There are over 1.5 million trees, 8,540 bushes, 287 buildings, and seven mice in the 3d
animation.
Speaking of mice: Seventeen mice (eight adult mice, eight young mice, and the seven-headed
Mouse King) have been built by Erik Andor and a team of fabricators in his Pioneer Square studio.
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98 yards of “fur” have been used to create the mice. They have a total of 230 whiskers.
Each adult tail consists of 25 segments. Each ear is made up of six pieces.
Laid end-to-end, the mice’s upper lips total 782 inches.
For more information, visit encoreartsseattle.com/making-mice-erik-andor
And finally: Amusements Gift Shop at McCaw Hall has stocked its counters and shelves with
15,300 ornaments, 1,400 nutcrackers, 4,400 plush dolls, 1,000 posters, 300 tiaras and 120 tutus
for shoppers attending the show.
2015 NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Day
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Date
Nov. 27
Nov. 28
Nov. 29
Dec. 4
Dec. 5
Dec. 6
Dec. 10
Dec. 11
Dec. 12
Dec. 13
Dec. 16
Dec. 17
Dec. 18
Dec. 19
Dec. 20
Dec. 21
Dec. 22
Dec. 23
Dec. 24
Dec. 26
Dec. 27
Dec. 28
Times
7:30pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
7:30 pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
2:00 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
1:00 pm & 5:30 pm
TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket range: $25 - $156 ($22 - $141 for children 12 and under. All ages require a ticket for
admission, including babes in arms.) Tickets may be purchased through the PNB Box Office:
 Online 24/7 at pnb.org
 Phone: 206.441.2424 (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm)
 In Person: 301 Mercer Street, Seattle (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm)
Tickets are also available – subject to availability – 90 minutes prior to each performance at
McCaw Hall, located at 321 Mercer Street. In-person ticket sales at the McCaw Hall Box Office are
subject to day-of-show price increases. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly
suggested for lowest prices and greatest availability.
Don’t get duped this holiday season: Be mindful of unauthorized third-party online ticket resellers
when ordering tickets for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™.
Bring a Group to the Show and Save!
From a familial flock of 15 to a throng of 3,000 of your closest cohorts, The Nutcracker is the
perfect way to celebrate the holiday season! Groups save 10-15% off regular prices (depending on
date, time, and section), receive personal ticketing assistance, priority seating, and have access to
McCaw Hall facilities that may be rented for private parties. For more information or to purchase
tickets, use PNB’s online group form at PNB.org/Season/GroupTickets or contact Group Sales
Manager Julie Jamieson at 206.441.2416 or [email protected].
Please note that all discounts are not valid on lowest-priced tickets, are taken off the standard
ticket price only, and may not be combined with other offers.
TeenTix
PNB is a proud participant in the TeenTix program. TeenTix members may purchase tickets to the
Sunday, December 27, 5:30 performance of The Nutcracker, on a first-come, first-served basis, dayof-show, starting at3:30 pm. Subject to availability. No TeenTix “companion tickets” are available
for this performance. To learn more, visit TeenTix.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Dancing The Nutcracker
Tuesday, November 17, 5:30 pm
Watch PNB Company dancers rehearsing excerpts from The Nutcracker while learning about the
close ties Balanchine’s production shares with the 1892 St. Petersburg original. With James
Moore, Noelani Pantastico, Kyle Davis, and Angelica Generosa. Tickets ($40) are available through
the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424 or online at PNB.org.
Opening Weekend Festivities
Celebrate the premiere of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ and kick off the start of the
holiday season with crafts and activities, magicians, dance classes, and – of course – Almond Roca.
Free with admission.
Listen to the Ballet
PNB partners with Classical KING FM 98.1 to bring listeners some of history’s most popular ballet
scores, featuring the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra direct from McCaw Hall. Tune in for a live
broadcast of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ on Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 pm. Only
on KING FM, 98.1 fm or online at KING.org/listen.
See the Ballet…and Play the Instruments
Classical KING FM 98.1, in collaboration with Music Center Northwest, will host their everpopular Instrument Petting Zoo at The Nutcracker matinees on December 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19, as
well as the 5:30 performance on December 6. Stop by and get a feel for the instruments that make
Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score come to life! Free with admission.
Teddy Bear Clinics
Calling all kids! Bring your favorite teddy bear, doll, or toy for a check-up at Swedish Pediatrics’
Teddy Bear Clinic. Diagnose imaginary ailments with stethoscopes and otoscopes and bandage it
all better. At the 1:00 matinees on Sunday, December 13 and Saturday, December 26. Free with
admission.
Nutcracker Suites at McCaw
Skip the lines and bustle of the lobby at intermission! Treat you and yours to an enchanted
intermission experience in the SAVOR…McCaw Hall Nutcracker Suite. The Nutcracker Suite
takes the stress out of intermission and adds to the memorable wonder of your day at the ballet.
There’s a range of activities awaiting you: a self-service candy station, hot cider and cocoa with
marshmallows and toppings, swords and crowns for snap-your-own pictures, a light appetizer buffet
by Executive Chef Shawn Applin, and coffee, Prosecco, wine and beer for adults. Nutcracker
Suites are $30 per person (includes applicable tax and service charge); performance tickets sold
separately. To purchase, visit PNB.org/NutcrackerSuites.
Nutcracker Tea
Saturday, December 5 following the 2pm matinee performance
Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of the holiday magic: You and your little ones will join
friends from the Land of Sweets in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ for an exclusive
reception after the show. Enjoy a buffet of kid-friendly snacks and sweets, while collecting
autographs from the Sugar Plum Fairy, Arabian Coffee, Spanish Hot Chocolate, and all your
favorite characters, on your very own keepsake poster. Tickets ($45/child and $65/adult) are
available through the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424 or PNB.org. Performance tickets sold
separately.
FAQs for PNB Kids
Visit PNB.org/Community/PNB-Kids for helpful hints and frequently asked questions about
attending the ballet with children.
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Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2015-2016 season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft.
Season support also provided by 4Culture, and Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. PNB media
sponsorship provided by The Seattle Times and KOMO 4.
The show must go on! Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance
calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for any reason: weather, swine flu, Mercer traffic, etc.
All ticket sales are final and there are no refunds or exchanges. In the unlikely event that the
status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org.
Publicity Contact
Gary Tucker, Media Relations Manager
Tel: 206.441.2426 / E-mail: [email protected]
Schedule, casting, and programming subject to change. For further information, please visit PNB.org
P ACIFIC N ORTHWEST B ALLET
301 Mercer Street ● Seattle, WA ● 98109 ● 206.441.2424 ● PNB.org