The National Ballet of Canada

Netflix Star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Makes Debut as a Cannon Doll in The Nutcracker

Lineup Includes Olympians Sarah Nurse and Renata Fast, Actor Graham Greene and More! 

Past Cannon Dolls Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas of the Toronto Raptors. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

December 5, 2022... Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced this season’s lineup of Cannon Dolls for The Nutcracker. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, star of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and Disney’s Turning Red, will make her debut as a Cannon Doll on the opening night of The Nutcracker, December 10 at 7:00 pm.

Joining the National Ballet onstage as Cannon Dolls this season are Olympic & World Championship Hockey Players Sarah Nurse and Renata Fast, Gold Medal Olympic Rower Sydney Payne and teammate Kristina Walker, Actors Graham Greene, Julie Nolke and Gina Louise Phillips, CBC Radio Hosts Tom Power, Ismaila Alfa and Elamin Abdelmahmoud, ETALK Anchor Tyrone Edwards and ETALK Reporter Chloe Wilde and Global News’ Susan Hay.

Past Cannon Dolls have included Astronaut Chris Hadfield, former Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas, Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Olympic Gold Medalist Figure Skater Tessa Virtue, Actress Sarah Gadon, members of ARKELLS, Comedian Rick Mercer, Author Emma Donoghue, Musician Brendan Canning, Former Mayor of Toronto Barbara Hall and Mayor of Toronto John Tory.

Celebrity walk-on roles are a long-standing tradition with Nutcrackers all over the world. In the National Ballet’s production, the cameo roles are Cannon Dolls, colourfully costumed Petrouchka dolls who shoot a cannon into the audience in Act I. To date, the National Ballet has invited 1,080 Canadian luminaries and personalities to appear onstage in the coveted roles.

This season, the National Ballet has invited colleagues in the Toronto Arts and Dance Community as well as Community Partners onstage as Cannon Dolls.   

This Season’s Celebrity Cannon Dolls: 

December 9 at 7:00 pm
Share the Magic

CBC Metro Morning’s Host Ismaila Alfa

December 10 at 2:00 pm
Opening Night

CBC q’s Host Tom Power and CBC Pop Chat’s Host Elamin Abdelmahmoud

December 10 at 7:00 pm

Star of Netflix's Never Have I Ever and Disney's Turning Red Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

December 11 at 1:00 pm

Actor Graham Greene

December 13 at 7:00 pm

Global News' Susan Hay

December 16 at 7:00 pm

Actor on Run the Burbs and Award-Winning YouTube Content Creator Julie Nolke and Actor on Workin’ Moms Gina Louise Phillips

December 17 at 2:00 pm

ETALK Anchor Tyrone Edwards and ETALK Reporter Chloe Wilde

December 20 at 2:00 pm

Gold Medal Olympic Rower Sydney Payne and Olympic Rower Kristina Walker

December 22 at 2:00 pm

Hamilton Tiger Cats Linebacker Simoni Lawrence and Offensive Lineman Chris Van Zeyl

December 22 at 7:00 pm

Olympic & World Championship Hockey Players Sarah Nurse and Renata Fast

Full Cannon Doll Lineup >

The Nutcracker is choreographed by James Kudelka with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set and costume design by Santo Loquasto and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton.

This season, there will be no The Nutcracker story time. Ticketholders can enjoy a video featuring Principal Dancer Tina Pereira reading the story of The Nutcracker. The video will be played in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre.

Many shows are already sold out but a few seats are still available.

More About The Nutcracker > 

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BMO Financial Group Presents the 2022/23 Season.

iA Financial Group Presents The Nutcracker. 

The Nutcracker is made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lawrence & Ann Heisey and an anonymous friend of the National Ballet. 

Tina Pereira is sponsored through Dancers First by The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C.  

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage, through The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism; and the Government of Ontario through The Honourable Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Past Cannon Dolls Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas of the Toronto Raptors. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

 For more information, please contact: