The Nutcracker returns

• Can perform to full capacity audience
• Excitement among the cast
• Members of Ballet Kelowna involved

Thursday night was the dress rehearsal for The Canadian School of Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, performing this weekend at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

The annual production which has been going for 31 years was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 but now it’s back and with a full capacity audience.

Regeanna Stubel with The Canadian School of Ballet told Kelowna10 they are thrilled to welcome people back.

“When tickets went on sale in November, we sold out for half capacity and that was great to hear,” she said. “When we found out we could have full capacity, it was amazing because I think everyone’s missed coming to see ballet, and theatre and this is what it’s all about.”

The show follows Clara on Christmas Eve receiving the gift of The Nutcracker and is taken into the Land of Snow and to The Land of Sweets and will see the audience taken on a fantasy journey.

“It’s very exciting to have the whole thing come together,” Stubel said. “A lot of people enjoy the battle scene. We have a lot of magical things that happen in that part and to have the dancers all dance together at the end during the Waltz of the Flowers.”

The show features 100 cast members across a variety of ages as well as members from Ballet Kelowna.

Maggie Fay, who plays Clara, has been with The Canadian School of Ballet since she was three, and has been in numerous productions of The Nutcracker. She was thrilled to find out she got the role.

“It’s been something that I’ve been looking forward to for so long and I just really want to perform it well,” she said.

She added there is lots of excitement heading into the weekend with a full capacity audience.

“I’m a little bit nervous, because I can see everyone’s faces again instead of having no one there, but I’m excited to perform again in front of people,” Fay said. “I love seeing everybody’s faces in the audience when they see us on stage.”

Desiree Bortolussi who has been with Ballet Kelowna for 10 years, said despite having played her role as The Sugar Plum Fairy a few times, she’s always eager to be part of it.

“It’s always interesting to re-visit it. From year to year it can change,” she said. “It’s always evolving. For me because the production is one of my favorites, it’s always exciting.”

She noted there are some technical differences with her role, compared to playing Clara which focuses more on acting.

“The role it’s on pointe and its very classical, the technique has to be very precise and it’s a lot of on pointe work which is difficult,” Bortolussi said.

Performances run from Friday Dec. 10 to 12. Tickets can still be purchased here.

The Nutcracker first premiered a week before Christmas in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Editor's note: this story was amended to correct the date on which the Nutcracker premiered.