Treat your family to Tchaikovsky’s ballet, “The Nutcracker,” set in an exceptional time and place — 1858 in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Ballet Hawaii’s popular annual production, accompanied by the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, runs Friday through Sunday at Blaisdell Concert Hall.
The historical and Hawaiian-themed version of the traditional ballet represents our community, “so it gives the audience the opportunity to see themselves in this classic holiday story ballet,” said Luis R. Torres, who will be performing the role of Drosselmeyer, godfather of the young heroine Clara and toy maker/creator of the Nutcracker doll.
Torres, a ballet master and repetiteur with the Hong Kong Ballet, joins a cast of more than 175 dancers, including guest artists from New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Carolina Ballet. Other highlights of this year’s production include set designs that offer dramatic scenery to help transport audiences to a magical place, as well as elaborate costume designs provided by Christine Darch, Kini Zamora and Anne Namba.
“I encourage all families to come to this year’s production … taking the occasion to create new holiday memories, which will help the kids to identify more with art, dance and Hawaii’s rich cultural heritage that comes through the course of the show,” Torres said.
“THE NUTCRACKER”
Presented by Ballet Hawaii
>> Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $40-$125
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
>> Note: Opening Night VIP Dinner Package including a four course dinner with wine created by Chef Chai Chaowasaree, VIP seating, post performance meet-and-greet with the guest artists and reserved parking, 5 p.m. Friday at Chef Chai, $200; reservations: 521-8600 ext. 3, marcie@ballethawaii.org or ballethawaii.org
