CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, December 02, 2020

Pandemic Puts A Damper On Holiday Productions Such As 'The Nutcracker'

NPR: The Handel and Haydn Society in Boston has presented Handel's "Messiah" every holiday season since 1854. Chicago's Goodman Theatre has been staging Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" for more than 40 years. And then there's "The Nutcracker," a staple for ballet companies all across the country. But this year is not that kind of year.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I remember going to see the Nutcracker multiple times throughout my childhood. It was one of the few non-musical-esque performances that I could stay awake for as a young child. I had multiple friends who performed in the show annually as the children, mice, and candy cane humans. And it’s very true that ballet companies depend heavily on the holidays for their revenue because ballet is known for performing the classics, rather than new work like other forms for live performance artforms. I think that this sentiment of losing huge amounts of money during the holiday season for theater/ballet/opera companies is a huge deal because people have made traditions out of seeing A Christmas Carol, Nutcracker, and other holiday related live performances for years. This is the first time that many theater folks will not be working on Christmas. Which feels weird but also wonderful. Overall, this makes me worried for the live entertainment industry. What's new.