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The Nutcracker – Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center

"The Nutcracker" Presented by Illinois Youth Dance Theatre on December 21–23

from$11
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No Longer Available
Fri Nov 30 05:59:59 UTC 2012
Value
$22
Discount
50%
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$11
  • T460x279
  • Good for Kids
  • Theater District

In a Nutshell

Young ballet ensemble performs classic holiday tale with professional guest artists and elaborate costumes and sets

The Fine Print

The Nutcracker dazzles children’s eyes, but it also confirms their deep suspicion that toys come to life, even when no one is looking or poking them repeatedly with cattle prods. Feel the season’s electricity with this GrouponLive deal to see The Nutcracker, presented by the Illinois Youth Dance Theatre at Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center with Joffrey Ballet’s Ricardo Santos and Trinity Irish Dancers. Choose between the following seating options:

  • For $11, you get one gold-level ticket for balcony seating in rows G–W (up to a $22 value, including all fees).
  • For $13, you get one blue-level ticket for orchestra seating in rows A–F (up to a $27 value, including all fees).

For each seating option, choose from the following showtimes:

  • Friday, December 21, at 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 22, at 1 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 22, at 5 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 23, at 3 p.m.

Doors open one hour before showtime.

The Plot

Based on a story by the 19th-century romantic fabulist E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker weaves a magical tale of holiday adventure during Tchaikovsky's adaption as a two-act ballet. Marie, the story's heroine, receiving a nutcracker from her godfather, a wizardly toymaker named Drosselmeyer. Sneaking downstairs to see the toy after everyone else has gone to bed, Marie suddenly finds herself caught in the middle of a pitched battle between the toys and an army of mice. After saving the nutcracker with a well-thrown shoe to the Mouse King's head, Marie and her now-living prince venture into the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets to celebrate amid the dances of nimble snowflakes and the regal Sugar Plum Fairy.  

The Music 

Tchaikovsky’s score features some of the most recognizable tunes in the repertoire, repurposed beyond the ballet world in works including Disney's Fantasia, which naturally chose to illustrate the music’s delicate beauty with dancing mushrooms and leaping radishes. Notable sections include the “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” which floats weightlessly above the angelic voices of a youth choir, and the second act's medley of exotic national dances, including a Russian Trepak. The music-box-like theme of the “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” springs from a celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky came across in Paris and hurriedly inserted into the score before his musical rivals could make use of its haunting, bell-like sound. 

History Lesson

Initially unpopular when it premiered in Russia, The Nutcracker languished for decades with a reputation as one of Tchaikovsky's lesser works. Then, in the 1950s, the ballet’s status as a fixture of the holiday season began to grow as suddenly as Marie's magic Christmas tree when renowned American choreographer George Balanchine staged it for the New York Ballet. Balanchine's elegant staging remains the most popular, alternating between breathtaking displays of balletic mastery by soloists and duos, and large-scale set pieces that fill the stage with luminous costumes.

Though this merchant sometimes offers a discounted price online, this Groupon is still the best deal available.

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Groupon Says

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The Groupon Guide to: Mysterious Found Objects

There are important cultural artifacts all around us—in garbage cans, the gutter, or hung mysteriously out of human reach over power lines. What is the secret significance of these urban anomalies?

Sneakers: This person most likely exploded.

One Sneaker: Oh man, this person definitely exploded.

Inside-Out Umbrella: Either this umbrella couldn't hold up to a gusty wind and proved to be more trouble than it was worth or its owner exploded.

Pile of Cigarette Ash: Or the remains of an exploded person—who can tell?

A Candy Wrapper: Obviously someone suddenly exploded, as no one would be thoughtless enough to just throw garbage on the ground. Search around nearby to see if you can also score a free umbrella or one sneaker.

How does one sneaker mysteriously end up in the street? The answer revealed.

The Nutcracker

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  • A

    Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center

    300 Church St.
    Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047
    Get Directions

  • Contact Illinois Youth Dance Theatre at (847) 438-5901 for questions or hours.