LONG BEACH â?? The Long Beach Ballet intends to astound audiences this December with multiple performances of â??The Nutcrackerâ?? at the Long Beach Terrace Theater on Dec. 15-16 and Dec. 22-23.The 30th anniversary production will be accompanied by a full symphony orchestra â?? the only â??Nutcrackerâ?? in Southern California with live music â??with special guest performances and â??additional surprise treats the entire family will love.â?? Returning to perform this year is Melissa Sandvig, finalist in season five of â??You Think You Can Dance.â?? Guest performers also include principle dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle â?? one of Americaâ??s greatest companies- Seth Orza and his wife Sarah Orza. This year, the enchanting production surpasses all expectations by once again incorporating the South Coast Childrenâ??s Chorale, under the direction of Emily Dyer. Southern California residents will see and hear â??The Nutcrackerâ?? exactly as Tchaikovsky wrote it, with angelic young voices blending harmoniously with a full symphony orchestra. The Long Beach Balletâ??s full symphony orchestra is one of two ballet companies in the country to use two harps for their production of â??The Nutcrackerâ?? to ensure the performance sounds exactly as Tchaikovsky intended it to. â??I like using the beauty of the classical art form of ballet, which has taken 500 years to develop to the level that it is today, to form a production thatâ??s enticing and exciting,â?? said David Wilcox, artistic director for the Long Beach Ballet. â??We have pyrotechnics, we have magic; we have everything I can think of to make it thrilling. This production is not just for people who like ballet. You can hate ballet and youâ??ll still like this production.â?? The Long Beach Balletâ??s â??Nutcrackerâ?? has been seen by millions of people worldwide, including live audiences totaling more than 450,000 in Long Beach, 80,000 in Pasadena, hundreds of thousands throughout Asia (as performed by the Classical Ballet of Guangzhou China), and millions more on television. Show times are Dec. 15 and 22, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Dec. 16 and 23, at 2 p.m., at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Long Beach Ballet hotline at (877) 852-3177, at all TicketMaster outlets, and the Long Beach Performing Arts Center Main Box Office. Ticket prices are $28 to $65 with a VIP package available at $95 for adults ($80 for seniors and children), which includes choice Center Orchestra seating, parking, souvenir, admission to the VIP lounge during intermission, and a backstage pass. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.

********** Published: November 29, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 33