Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre will present their 7th annual production of the holiday classic The Nutcracker on Saturday, November 27th at 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 28th at 2:00 PM at the Mercyhurst University’s Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.
There will also be a Sugar Plum Tea Sunday, Nov. 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Lake Shore Country Club. Children will enjoy an afternoon of cupcakes and cookies, crafts, coloring pages, storytelling, dancing, a personal photo with the Sugar Plum Fairy, and a preview of performances from the Kingdom of Sweets and the Sugar Plum Fairy herself. Seating is limited so get your tickets now! Tickets to the Sugar Plum Tea are $25 per person.
An Erie cast of more than 100
Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre is the only ballet company in Erie County to present The Nutcracker, and they are proud to feature an Erie-only community cast of more than 100.
 |
Purchase tickets to the Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker performance now!
Tickets available:
Online | By calling 814-824-3000 | Or at the door
Featured in the character roles this year are Madison DiVito and Brooklyn Stritzinger sharing the role of Clara, who is gifted a special nutcracker doll from her godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, played by Owen Gilroy.
Other important roles include Theodore Mikulcik as Fritz, Clara’s brother, Mili Hanes and Donnie Hatheway, as Clara’s parents, Ashlyn Price and Ramani Rosa as the Snow Queen and King, Ryan Paris as Mother Ginger, and Emma Argaez and Brian Murphy as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Of course, there are those roles such as Soldiers, Mice and Cheese for the Battle Scene; Snowflakes for the Snow Scene, and Spanish Chocolates, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, Russian Candy Canes, Marzipan Ribbon Candy, and Waltz of the Flowers for the Kingdom of Sweets that add delight for people of all ages!
A collaboration with the Erie Philharmonic
Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre recorded ACT II and streamed it free in 2020 but wanted to make a comeback this year with this visually stunning performance on a grand scale.
To accomplish that, the Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre collaborated with the Erie Philharmonic to present live music for both performances conducted by Matthew Kraemer.
“Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre and the Erie Philharmonic have collaborated many times in the past (Erie Phil’s Summer Soirée, Come Home for the Holidays, and Tour of Homes), so Steve Weiser, Executive Director of the Erie Philharmonic, and I knew it was only a matter of time before we collaborated to bring live music to ECBT’s The Nutcracker,” said Sarah Purvis, Artistic Director of ECBT. 
Purvis and Weiser have met over the past year to make this collaboration a reality.
“The combination of music and dancing of the absolute highest caliber, with the Erie Philharmonic and the Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre, will prove to be a stunning holiday experience for Erie audiences,” says Erie Philharmonic Executive Director Steve Weiser. “This collaborative production of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker will set a new standard of excellence in the region and will most assuredly become an annual tradition not to be missed.”
More than 200 costumes
Behind the scenes are technical director, Bob Steineck, from Pittsburgh, PA and his stage crew to help bring this magical story to life. With a team of seamstresses that hand sew over 200 costumes, over 50 volunteers, a cast of 100, new scenery and three different rented backdrops, this time-honored, holiday classic has something to satisfy all your senses. This year, ten new Angel costumes were created to bring a “floating” effect to the dancers. In 2019, ECBT had a new grandfather clock with a wooden owl on top for the Party Scene, a new sleigh for the Snow Scene, and a new loveseat for the Kingdom of Sweets!
Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre is thrilled to have Mayor Joe Schember introducing each performance and attending opening night with his family. ECBT is also partnering with local non-profit, Bethesda Lutheran Services, to bring awareness of their mission which provides promising futures for children, youth, and families.
The Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre would like to thank Hanes Erie, Inc., Erie Arts and Culture, Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, Erie Insurance, Equitable Advisors, Erie Federal Credit Union, and National Fuel for their generous sponsorship.
