Nutcracker 2022

[abatt]

NYCB_Casting_Nov_25-27_2022_lobby.pdf (cloudinary.com)

 

Week one casting attached.

[cobweb]

After a few years without Nutcracker (I didn't attend last year), I am eager to go. The Fairchild-Gordon-Kikta cast, with Nadon and LaFreniere as two beautiful Flowers, and getting to see Emma von Enck too, may be irresistible. 

[Jacqueline]

Week two casting is up.

 

https://res.cloudinary.com/new-york-city-ballet/image/upload/v1668553429/Documents/Casting/NYCB_Casting_Nov_30-Dec_4_2022.pdf

[Novice123]

Are all Nutcracker tickets sold?  I tried to buy additional tickets and every date I selected had no seats available.  

 

[mille-feuille]

On 11/16/2022 at 12:49 PM, Novice123 said:

Are all Nutcracker tickets sold?  I tried to buy additional tickets and every date I selected had no seats available.  

The NYCB website seems to be allowing sales now. Many performances are amazingly well-sold.

[cobweb]

Any reports from opening night? I am tempted to go tomorrow to see Fairchild, Gordon, and Kikta... but shocked at how high the prices are, also despite the ticket prices it's very well-sold!

[uptowner]

NYCB has posted clips on their Instagram stories from rehearsal and performance. I don't recall them doing this in the past, maybe I just missed it. Anyway, fun to see.  (I am not sure if it was just for opening day-- though I suspect it was.) 

Edited November 26, 2022 by uptowner
added clarification

[cassieallison]

Interesting that Sean Suozzi is no longer with the company but still doing character parts in Nutcracker

[cobweb]

Just in from my first Nutcracker since 2019. Overall I found it a little blah. Hard to say why, maybe it's just me. Megan Fairchild and Joseph Gordon, and Emily Kikta's Dewdrop, were all great. Fairchild is all precision, polish, and sparkle. Kikta's legs are just great, making for a huge grand jete. I would LOVE to see her in some of the grand ballerina roles. Also Emma von Enck brought her eager-to-please charm and energy to Marzipan, and Isabella LaFreniere and Mira Nadon looked beautiful as can be as Flowers. Over the years I have generally been highly impressed with the children, and have particularly seen some very moving, elegant Nutcracker Princes. For a change, I didn't love either Marie or the Nutcracker Prince here. I'd like to see the other cast of child leads, so if anyone has intel on the child casting, I'd be grateful for a PM. The transformation scene was beautiful as always, that whole section from the end of the party scene through the Snowflakes is my favorite part of the whole show. A note about ticket sales, online it appeared to be almost completely sold out, but once in the theatre I realized they are not making the top 4 or 5 rows of the 4th ring available for sale. So I guess it's not selling THAT well. 

[cobweb]

... thinking more about it, I wonder what is the rationale behind the ticket pricing strategy. Fourth ring seats are $115 and $90 -- even the fourth-ring partial-view seats are $90! That's a lot to sit in the 4th ring, and that is a LOT to have as your lowest ticket price. That has to eliminate a lot of would-be ticket buyers, and I know it's a barrier for even a diehard Nutcracker fan like myself. The cost of bringing your kids or grandkids or guests is steep. Then the top four rows of the 4th ring are not even up for sale! What is the rationale here? Why not put those for sale at some more accessible price point, say $50? It seems short-sighted to try to squeeze every last dollar out of the Nutcracker audience, while making it unaffordable for many who would love to see the show, not to mention build future audiences. 

[GB1216]

So true regarding ticket prices.  My best friend and I always have gone to see the nutcracker as a holiday tradition and this year we decided to forgo due to the prices.  It’s hard to justify when I’ve seen it so many times previously. 

[cobweb]

7 minutes ago, GB1216 said:

It’s hard to justify when I’ve seen it so many times previously. 

I had the same hesitation. I vacillated all weekend on whether to go, I really wanted to see this casting but how can I spend that much on a show I've seen numerous times before and dancers I will see again soon anyway? I paid up, but I really resent that there is not some affordable option like standing room, or the partial-view seats used to be much more affordable. This is so short-sighted. NYCB is not like, say, a Broadway show where investors are clamoring to make their money back and you don't have to build a long-term relationship with the audience. A ballet company is an ongoing concern that should have a good relationship and good will with its repeat audience base. This is only going to put people off, and ballet newcomers who may be drawn to Nutcracker may even conclude ballet is as classist as they suspected and it's only for the rich.

[vipa]

My guess is that NYCB sees Nutcracker as a cash cow that helps fund less popular programs, and they squeeze every dime out of it they can. I don't blame them, but it would be nice to have a mechanism for inexpensive seats. Some Broadway shows have day of lotteries for cheap seats. 

[cobweb]

15 minutes ago, vipa said:

My guess is that NYCB sees Nutcracker as a cash cow that helps fund less popular programs, and they squeeze every dime out of it they can. 

This would make more sense if they were selling out with $115 and $90 fourth ring seats, but they’re not. The top rows are not even for sale. Having some affordable option (standing room, partial view, top row seats for a sensible price) would signal to the audience that there is a price point for everyone. 

[Dancingdemon]

When I was at SAB, in the 1990's, we could get complimentary tickets to all the NYCB performances except Nutcracker because there were no available tickets! One time I bought the only ticket I could afford - standing room fourth ring. It's very sad to me that ticket-wise NYCB isn't doing as well as before. I want continual growth! The dancers now are even stronger and better. They aren't the reason for the downshift!

Edited November 28, 2022 by Dancingdemon
typo

[uptowner]

I couldn’t agree more about the ticket prices. I understand that it makes a lot of money for the company but any arts organization should also be building the future audiences. And while the Nutcracker is the only ballet many people will ever see, it can also be the gateway for future ballet lovers (and future dancers!) 

[vipa]

12 hours ago, cobweb said:

This would make more sense if they were selling out with $115 and $90 fourth ring seats, but they’re not. The top rows are not even for sale. Having some affordable option (standing room, partial view, top row seats for a sensible price) would signal to the audience that there is a price point for everyone. 

That makes total sense. There should be a way have some more affordable tickets and, most importantly, to let people know about it. Their dynamic pricing is mysterious (to me anyway). I checked, out of curiosity. There are some shows for which you can't get a fourth ring seat for less then $115. On the other hand I saw a couple of mid-week evening shows that had $45 fourth ring tickets (not a lot, but some were still available). Someone who just wants to take their kids to see The Nutcracker, is not going to start hunting around like that for more affordable tickets.

[GB1216]

44 minutes ago, vipa said:Someone who just wants to take their kids to see The Nutcracker, is not going to start hunting around like that for more affordable tickets.

So true.  Or be willing to truck into the city midweek on a school night unless they live in Manhattan.  For the bridge and tunnel crowd with kids it’s all about the weekends and the matinees specifically.

[cobweb]

Wow, I didn't even realize there were different prices for different performances! Like @vipa says, they really have to find a way to get the word out. I looked at the prices for the performance I wanted to see yesterday and concluded that there was not room in my budget for another performance of Nut this year (except the Hyltin retirement, which I bought months ago). If some performances can be had for $45, that is totally different. 

[BalanchineFan]

I see some $45 and $60 seats on weekends. I might get one. The prices always increase as we get closer to Christmas. Other theaters do dynamic pricing too. At The Joyce the tickets are cheaper the earlier you buy them. NYCB subscribers have access to Nutcracker tickets before the general public, too.

Edited November 28, 2022 by BalanchineFan

[bellawood]

Mira Nadon is debuting Sugar Plum on the 14th at 7pm (her Instagram stories) — have to say I am very tempted to buy a ticket!

 

[canbelto]

Casting is out. Emma von Enck also debuting as SPF.

[cobweb]

Wow, von Enck and Mejia, that sounds like a winning combination!! Hope someone can report on that performance. Nadon’s Sugarplum also. 

[vipa]

44 minutes ago, cobweb said:

Wow, von Enck and Mejia, that sounds like a winning combination!! Hope someone can report on that performance. Nadon’s Sugarplum also. 

Yes and Tiler Peck as Dewdrop, it could be quite a performance. If anyone is there please report. Also, I noted on instagram that some of the dancers were mentioning shows for students. There had been some discussion here about ticket prices, and giving kids an opportunity to see Nutcracker. Does anyone know how those performances work? Are the kids brought in from schools? Are the tickets subsidized? Just wondering how it works, if anyone knows.

[bellawood]

1 hour ago, vipa said:

Yes and Tiler Peck as Dewdrop, it could be quite a performance. If anyone is there please report. Also, I noted on instagram that some of the dancers were mentioning shows for students. There had been some discussion here about ticket prices, and giving kids an opportunity to see Nutcracker. Does anyone know how those performances work? Are the kids brought in from schools? Are the tickets subsidized? Just wondering how it works, if anyone knows.

They host public school kids for matinees — the whole audience is children. My son is headed to the show tomorrow with his 6th grade class where he gets to see a Roman/Emma preview.