Still another Nutcracker, this one performed by young dancers out in Hackettstown at the new Lackland Center on the Centenary College campus.
New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet
narrated version of The Nutcracker
WHEN: Dec. 18 at 2:00 & 7:00 PM and Dec. 19 at 3:00 PM
WHERE: Lackland Center, Sitnik Theater,715 Grand Avenue, Hackettstown
TICKETS: $22.50-$25, with discounts for seniors, students and children under 12. They are available through the Centenary Stage Company box office by calling 908.979.0900, and online at www.centenarystageco.org. The performance is appropriate for ages 3-103. (Above: Alexandra Limeburg playing the young Clara. Photo by Especially Captivating Photos)
With a cast of 60 talented dancers from Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties, the NJCYB’s Nutcracker is unique because it’s narrated by Janine Byrnes, who tells the story from the perspective of young Clara Stahlbaum.
In this dramatic presentation, the audience is invited to Dr. And Mrs. Stahlbaum's Christmas Party. As the theater darkens, and some of the world’s most beautiful music plays, Ms. Byrnes takes the audience on a storybook adventure. Clara’s Godfather presents his magic show of dancing dolls enchanting the children who attend the party. He has gifts for all, but one touches the young Clara's heart, an ugly Nutcracker. As Clara falls asleep under the beautiful Christmas tree, the noise of mice wakes her. To save Clara, the Nutcracker and his army battle the giant Mouse King. The Nutcracker turns into a handsome prince and takes a grown-up Clara through the enchanted forest into the land of Christmas.
“This is the most enchanting fairy tale of a child's most unforgettable Christmas,” says NJCYB Director, Christine Melgar Taylor, “Through Ms. Byrne’s narration, young children understand a fanciful story, while the rest of us realize that his is truly a story of life, love and the holiday spirit.”
