Ballet Does Free Production of ‘Nutcracker’

Angel Matinee. Photo Nathaniel by Davauer.

On Thursday the Milwaukee Ballet hosted a new, free performance of The Nutcracker for school students at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Nearly 2,000 delighted children were in attendance.

The Ballet has been performing The Nutcracker as its holiday show for more than 40 years, since 1977.  And its combination of great music by Tchaikovsky, and a full-length ballet with lots of bravura dances, all wrapped around a heart-warming holiday story that appeals to audiences of all ages, has made this a popular annual event. 

Angel Matinee. Photo Nathaniel by Davauer.

But this performance, named the Angel Matinee, was a very special event, a free performance for schools that have never been able to participate in the student matinees the Ballet has always offered. “We have been offering student matinees for several years at a highly discounted rate,” notes Milwaukee Ballet Community Engagement Director Alyson Chavez. “Our Angel Program donations have provided foundational support for these matinees. In our 50^th anniversary year, we wanted to do something even more special for those students and schools who cannot afford tickets. All these attendees were economically disadvantaged students who may well have been seeing a big-budget dance show for the first time.” The Ballet also provided bus transportation to the show for the students. 

“Our organization has enjoyed the support of the city for the last five decades and values the opportunity to give back to Milwaukee,” Milwaukee Ballet Artistic Director Michael Pink said in advance of the show.  “I have long believed that every child deserves the magic of The Nutcracker, and I look forward to personally welcoming these excited new students to the theater this year, and in many more to come.”

So perhaps this will be the start of another great tradition for a company that has entertained Milwaukee for 50 years.