ST. PAUL – The Nutcracker, presented by St. Paul and District Arts Foundation, is back this year with its first live performance since the pandemic.
Set to be performed on Dec. 3 and 4 in St. Paul at the All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Cultural Centre, this year’s production is inspired by music and storytelling from the 1800s.
Dave Ganert, artistic director, says this year’s Nutcracker production is adapted from an 1816 story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by Prussian author E. T. A. Hoffmann. Ganert said he is also “using a large portion of Tchaikovsky’s score” from the 1892 two-act ballet The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical doll from her uncle on Christmas Eve.
As the clock strikes midnight, Clara falls asleep and is brought “into a magical journey” with her nutcracker doll, according to Ganert. Clara and the nutcracker doll fight “epic battles” throughout their journey.
Also, “we’ve expanded [the production],” from its original score, “to include a variety of cultures,” says Ganert. There will be performers from various cultures including “Chinese, French, Canadian, Spanish, Arabian, First Nations, Indian, Irish, and Ukrainian.”
“It’s basically a big cultural mosaic,” he says.
The variety of performers hail from places across the province, including St. Paul but also the surrounding areas, as far as Athabasca, Cold Lake and even Calgary, and Edmonton.
“We started auditions on [Sept. 18] and basically have been rehearsing every Sunday,” says Ganert. He says the performers put in around eight to 10 hours on rehearsal days.
This year’s Nutcracker is also a production that brings together both amateurs and professional dancers, according to Ganert. The production is a good learning opportunity and an “eye-opener” for a lot of the younger performers.
The live production of the Nutcracker can only be watched in St. Paul, but Ganert dreams of bringing the production to other municipalities as well, in the future.
For individuals unable to make it to the in-person performance, a filmed version will also be available.
When asked about being able to have the production live for the first time in a few years, Ganert says, “there’s nothing like performing on the stage.”
It is “great” seeing first-time and experienced performers bring joy to both themselves and the audience, he adds. “As performers... you’ve sort of been deprived of that feeling,” during the pandemic.
“This will be a nice way to find that feeling back,” and it’s “going to be fantastic,” for the performers to be able to share their love of the stage, arts, and the live theatre with the community.
“It’s great to see they’re starting to thrive again,” he says.
After a visit to New York recently and seeing musicals and theatres packed with people, it is an indicator that “people were wanting to see theatre again,” says Ganert.
He hopes to see the same enthusiasm in St. Paul and invites people to come out and support the performers.
“I’m looking forward to a great show.”
Show time
On Saturday, the doors will open at 6:45 p.m., with the performance to begin at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the doors will open at 1:45 p.m., and the performance will begin at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for ages four and up and are available at Happy House, located at 4215 50 Ave across from the Tim Horton’s in St. Paul. Happy House is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday to Friday.
Tickets can also be purchased by emailing [email protected], and tickets will be reserved at the door prior to the performances.
The tickets will also be available online.
