The Nutcracker

Stage and Orchestra Rehearsal
Wednesday, December 3

The Nutcracker (1995) was made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M. and Lawrence & Ann Heisey.

The Nutcracker revitalization (2025) is made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, The Arrell Family Foundation and The Henry White Kinnear Foundation.

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Elaine J. Adair in acquiring the Celesta. 

Choreography and Libretto:
James Kudelka 

Music:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 

Set and Costume Design:
Santo Loquasto

Lighting Design:
Jennifer Tipton

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Meridian Hall (then O'Keefe Centre), Toronto, December 21, 1995

Conductor
David Briskin, Music Director and Principal Conductor or Julian Pelicano, Conductor

The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra

Cast

Act I
Scene 1, A Barn

Peter, A Stable Boy
Shaakir Muhammad

Marie's Brother
Anna Groleau

Misha, Marie's Brother
Luis Olivera

Baba, Marie and Misha's Nurse
Stephanie Hutchison*

Marie and Misha's Parents
Alexandra MacDonald 

Patrick Lavoie*

Uncle Nikolai
Jack Bertinshaw

Parents, Children, Aunts, Uncles, Servants, Bears and a Horse
Artists of The National Ballet of Canada and Students of Canada's National Ballet School

Scene 2,  Battle of the Tsar of the Mice

The Nutcracker
Shaakir Muhammad

The Tsar of the Mice
Ross Allen

Baby Mice
Students of Canada's National Ballet School (Associates Programme)

Dogs, Cat and Mice
Students of Canada's National Ballet School and Participating Schools

Scene 3, The Land of  Snow

Snow Queen and her icicles
Beckanne Sisk with Peng-Fei Jiang and Donald Thom

Snow Maidens
Artists of The National Ballet of Canada^†

Unicorns
Students of Canada's National Ballet School

^{Artists of The National Ballet of Canada♦}

Intermission

Act II
The Palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Courtiers, Guards and Ladies in Waiting 
Students of Canada's National Ballet School

The Sugar Plum Fairy
Calley Skalnik

Empress Dowager Baba
Stephanie Hutchison*

Grand Duke Nikolai
Jack Bertinshaw

Chocolate
Liya Fan, Ana Zamora, Ross Allen, Ayano Haneishi, Keira Sanford, Jason Ferro

Coffee
Tene Ward, Josh Hall, Connor Hamilton, Kota Sato

A Sheep 
Clare Peterson

A Flock of Lambs
Students of Canada's National Ballet School (Associates Programme)

A Fox
Alexander Skinner

Waiters
Felix Russell, Ryan Kao Cheng,
 Luiz Anselmo, Aidan Tully  

Chefs
Students of Canada's National Ballet School

A Bee
Jeannine Haller

Flowers and Branches
Artists of The National Ballet of Canada♦

^{*Guest Artist
♦Professional Ballet Program and Young Dancers Program Students of Canada’s National Ballet School appear by kind permission of Artistic Director Margaret Tracey and Canadian Actors' Equity Association.}

All casting subject to change.

Former Principal Dancer Piotr Stanczyk and Former First Soloist Hannah Fischer in The Winter's Tale. Photo by Karolina Kuras.