Presented by the James Family Trust

Thursday, Dec. 15
3:30 Back Stage Tour with Q & A
5:00 pm Dress Rehearsal

Full Orchestra and Ballet

• Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite
• Meyerbeer: Les Patineurs
• Christmas choral selections accompanied by orchestra, arranged by Rutter, Forrest, and Mechem

Alexander Walker, Conductor
Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet Alumni, Artistic Director Ken Ludden
Voci Sorella from Yavapai Youth Choirs and
Una Voce Women’s Choir, Artistic Director Arlene Bodensteiner Hardy

As December 17 and 18 performances of A Nutcracker Christmas Celebration are nearing capacity, Arizona Philharmonic (AZPhil) and Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet (MFAB) have added two events on Thursday, December 15 at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center.

At 3:30pm, a Nutcracker Christmas Celebration Meet & Greet and Dress Rehearsal with the Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet’s Designated Artistic Director, Rainer Krenstetter (Vienna State Opera Ballet, Miami Ballet, Unblanche Tokyo). He will provide a backstage tour of A Nutcracker Christmas Celebration, including an opportunity to learn of the stage setup, costumes, dressing rooms, lighting, and audio. This will be followed by a question and answer session with Rainer and other production personnel. Tickets are $100 and attendance at the 5:00pm dress rehearsal is included (details below). 25 attendees maximum.

At 5:00pm, A Nutcracker Christmas Celebration Dress Rehearsal performance was opened to the public. Enjoy a dress rehearsal with a full orchestra, choirs and dancers in costume. Pauses will be made to make adjustments to the performance and rehearsal may last up to 2.5 hours, with a 15-minute break midway through. No photos or video will be allowed. Seating is general admission and tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for children and students under 21.

In this premier Prescott Holiday event, international alumni of the Academy dance to Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker Suite and Frederick Ashton’s Les Patineurs, a winter ballet set to the music of Giacomo Meyerbeer, performed by Arizona Philharmonic, Prescott’s professional orchestra. Act II of The Nutcracker will be performed, and the entire show runs two hours including intermission. The outstanding youth Voci Sorella and women’s Una Voce choirs complement these performances with their angelic voices, accompanying the orchestra in the ballet and in Christmas music.

All public performances, and Friday’s, December 16^th performances for Prescott’s PUSD and other area students are presented by the James Family Trust. “To be able to be a part of bringing together some of the best artists, musicians and dancers to share in something beloved the world over to our community was an opportunity that could not be missed. Not only does it allow everyone to attend the performance in our little corner of the world, but introduces a new generation of PUSD students to one of the most treasured traditions of the holiday season,” stated Jenna James, James Family Trust.