COLORADO
BALLET ANNOUNCES 2001-2002 SEASON
Most Ambitious Season To Date Includes
DRACULA, THE NUTCRACKER, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
(Denver, CO) – Colorado Ballet’s 2001-2002 season is the company’s most ambitious to date with 96 performances in all beginning with DRACULA October 6 – 28 at the Auditorium Theater. This year’s production of THE NUTCRACKER runs November 24 – December 30 with a total of 38 performances at the Auditorium Theater. A balletic adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE enchants the Auditorium Theater February 16 – March 10. Colorado Ballet’s 2001-2002 concludes with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s delightful production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM April 20 – May 12, also at the Auditorium Theater. The Auditorium Theater is located at 14th and Curtis Streets downtown in the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Season subscriptions go on sale June 20th. For a free season brochure, call (303) 837-8888 ext. 0. Single tickets to all productions go on sale August 20th and can be purchased at that time by calling Denver Center Ticket Service at (303) 893-4100 or outside the Denver area at (800) 841-1222, on the web at www.coloradoballet.org or in person at Denver Center Ticket Service, 14th and Curtis Streets downtown in the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
“Next season was planned with two things in mind: Our audiences and Colorado Ballet’s artistic growth,” said Martin Fredmann, Artistic Director and CEO. “The 2001-2002 season has potential for wide audience appeal, tremendous audience growth and a sense of immediacy that I believe will draw people. This is a subscription series that will certainly capture interest!”
Bram Stoker’s dark, chilling tale of DRACULA finds new life as a ballet by creator Michael Pink October 6 - 28. From the first jolting knock on the door to the spine-shivering final scene of the vampire’s demise, DRACULA will enrapture you, nearly to the point of shame. The immortal Count, eyes blazing with hatred, skin as pale as death, lips ruby red and engorged from his latest feast, takes you with him on a ride filled with unsettling emotionalism. Every bite, each drink of blood, every startling scream stimulates the most potent gift we all possess – imagination. Philip Feeney’s enthralling score sets the pace for relentless action and a totally sensuous experience.
As Associate Artistic Director of Northern Ballet in England, Michael Pink choreographed DRACULA in 1996 for the company where it broke all box office records. It was then restaged and presented by Atlanta Ballet in the United States where it also saw unprecedented success.
“Michael’s DRACULA contains beautifully motivated characterizations that are clear and lucid - something the British are at their best at in telling a story,” Fredmann said. “It is a wonderful spectacle with custom-made scenery and costumes for Colorado Ballet. Michael’s DRACULA surely rivals Broadway at its finest and most sensational.”
The event of the season, Colorado Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER fills the air with holiday cheer, sweet nostalgia and the wonderment of childhood dreams November 24- December 30. Clara’s delightful adventure accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s famous music is a gentle reminder of the pure joy this time of year has to offer. Visit the Stahlbaum home, all
aglow with merriment and a magical tree, witness the Nutcracker Prince’s triumph over the evil Mouse King and be dazzled by falling snow and the Sugar Plum Fairy’s countless confections. A tradition, a household word, Colorado Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER completes any holiday celebration.
“Each year, I am told by many of our audience members how much more wonderful the production was than the year before,” said Fredmann. “This tradition of evolving Colorado Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER will continue. I want to make sure our audiences continue to say this to me with each new season’s production of THE NUTCRACKER!”
Immediately following the matinee performances of THE NUTCRACKER on December 1st and December 21st, children and parents can take their own journey to the Land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Children will have the opportunity to have their picture taken with Clara and The Prince and their programs signed by Colorado Ballet dancers. Kids can also take a short dance class given by one of the cast members, have stage make-up applied by students from the Academy of Colorado Ballet, try on real costumes, see props up-close and make a holiday craft. Disposable cameras will be available for purchase, or bring your own. Tickets are $10 for kids under 13, $5 for adults, and are sold separately from tickets to the performance. Activities are held upstairs at the Auditorium Theater.
Sunday, December 16th at 7:30 p.m. marks the fourth annual Rockies Night at THE NUTCRACKER. Players from the Colorado Rockies join Colorado Ballet’s cast of THE NUTCRACKER on stage for a fun and exciting performance of the Russian divertissement. Come see your favorite players as the shed their baseball caps and cleats for fur hats and dancing shoes!
All aboard Max’s private boat for a sail “through night and day, and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are!” Colorado Ballet proudly presents WHERE
THE WILD THINGS ARE February 16 – March 10. Who can resist the story of a little mischief
maker and his voyage to a place only imaginable by a child? See the pages of Maurice Sendak’s charming children’s book come to life in the ballet by Septime Webre. Come with Max as he tames the gruff and lumbering monsters who crown him king of all wild things. And learn, as Max does, there’s no place like home where dinner’s always waiting for you. Set to a
commissioned score by classic composer/rock musician Randall Woolf, the music for WILD THINGS is a blend of klezmer, blues, kitschy ‘60’s crime show jazz and orchestral music of the 18th and 19th centuries. Martin Fredmann’s delightful Viennese romp, Sachertorte will open the program.
“Love makes fools of us all.” So said Shakespeare himself, and never was it more true than in his madcap story of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. Colorado Ballet revives A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM created by dance-world wunderkind Christopher Wheeldon and set to Felix Mendelsohn’s effervescent score. Fully expressive, perfectly descriptive, Wheeldon’s MIDSUMMER is layered with zany intrigue, dusted with fairies and blooming with energy. This romantic comedy about mismatched lovers, the on-again, off-again relationship between the Queen and King of the Fairies, and the impish antics of Puck has the enchanted forest buzzing with action that will titillate your senses.
“It is with great pride that Colorado Ballet revives Christopher Wheeldon’s first full-length ballet ever created and he first created on Colorado Ballet,” Fredmann said. “His choreography is incredibly musical and organic. Christopher is a brilliant story teller with a perfect blend of the best of the English style and the dynamics and speed of George Balanchine.”
Colorado Ballet’s 2001-2002 season is sponsored by: OppenheimerFunds, Title Sponsor; Subaru, Official Automobile; The Denver Post; British Airways, Official Airline; Tiffany and Co.; KBCO radio; Hotel Teatro; Bank of Cherry Creek; and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities
District.
“The generous support of our corporate partners helps Colorado Ballet to bring some of the most exciting programming in the nation to our audiences right here in Denver,” said Fredmann. “We are deeply appreciative and proud to align with such prestigious
corporations.”
A complete list of performance dates and times is as follows:
DRACULA
Auditorium Theater
Saturday, October 6 8:00 p.m. *
Sunday, October 7 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 11 6:30 p.m.
Friday, October 12 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 13 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 14 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 17 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 18 6:30 p.m.
Friday, October 19 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 20 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 21 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 24 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 25 6:30 p.m.
Friday, October 26 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 27 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 28 2:00 p.m.
* denotes DRACULA Ball
THE NUTCRACKER
Auditorium Theater
Saturday, November 24 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.+
Sunday, November 25 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 28 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 29 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 30 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 1 2:00 p.m.** & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 2 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 5 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 6 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 7 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 8 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 9 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 11 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 12 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 13 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 14 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 15 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 16 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. ***
Tuesday, December 18 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 19 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 20 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 21 2:00 p.m.** & 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 22 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 23 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 26 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 27 2:00 p.m.
Friday, December 28 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 29 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 30 2:00 p.m.
+ denotes Sugar Plum Presentation ** denotes Family Matinees ***denotes Rockies Night
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Auditorium Theater
Saturday, February 16 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 17 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 20 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 21 6:30 p.m.
Friday, February 22 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 23 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 24 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 27 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 28 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 1 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 3 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 7 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 8 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 10 2:00 p.m.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Auditorium Theater
Saturday, April 20 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 21 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 25 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 26 7:30 p.m.
-Page 6 of 7-
Saturday, April 27 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 28 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 2 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 3 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 5 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 8 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 9 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 10 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 12 2:00 p.m.
*-TravelBank.Com-*
COLORADO BALLET ANNOUNCES - SEASON
Highlights Include Record-Long Run of
THE NUTCRACKER and New Balanchine Repertoire
Plus Performances in Aspen and New York
THE NUTCRACKER
Like the smell of cookies baking, the sound of carolers singing and the
warmth of a cold, snowy night, THE NUTCRACKER is synonymous with the holiday
season. This year, Colorado Ballet brings you a record-long run of this
classic you can't help but get all wrapped up in. Last December, the
production dazzled with new sets and costumes and this season, the company
will look even more radiant amidst an all-new-again production. Scenery
and costumes have been purchased from English National Ballet, designed by
Desmond Healy. In addition, Colorado Ballet will present a record-long run
of its most beloved holiday tradition November 29th through December 28th.
"The demand for our production of THE NUTCRACKER has been phenomenal, and
based on that community support, we have extended the length of the run from
Thanksgiving weekend to New Year's Eve," says Fredmann. The 1997 NUTCRACKER
will conclude with the company's second annual zany and unconventional
production of THE NUTCRACKER GOES NUTS, December 31st at 9:30 p.m. "Our
first attempt at THE NUTCRACKER GOES NUTS was highly successful, a little
controversial and outrageously funny," Fredmann says. A production created
by the dancers and ballet staff as a comic relief to a month-long
performance schedule of THE NUTCRACKER, THE NUTCRACKER GOES NUTS
promises to be highly entertaining. "Last year, I was thrilled with the
marvelous inventiveness, satire, humor and dramatic motivation the dancers
and staff devised," says Fredmann. "I can't wait to see what they do this
year!" THE NUTCRACKER GOES NUTS is not suitable for kids under 12. Tickets
are specially priced at $65 for seats on the main level and $45 for seats on
the upper level. Price includes a ticket to the performance and a champagne
and dessert reception afterwards.
THE NUTCRACKER FAMILY MATINEES
For the third consecutive year, Colorado Ballet offers families the chance
to become more acquainted with the ballet through two special Nutcracker
Family Matinee performances. Immediately following the matinee performances
on November 29th and December 23rd, kids and their families can participate
in a carnival of ballet fun. Activities such as face painting, costume try-
ons, set designing, holiday craft-making and games such as pin the tutu on
the ballerina, ballet hopscotch and crack the Nutcracker will make the
Family Matinees a festive affair to add to your holiday celebrations. There
is no extra cost to participate in the Nutcracker Family Matinee
activities with the purchase of a performance ticket.
Season subscriptions to Colorado Ballet's season are now on sale. the Scientific and Cultural
Facilities District.
A complete list of performance dates and times is as follows:
*-TravelBank.Com-*
COLORADO BALLET INTRODUCES NEW TICKET PACKAGES
The Discovery Series and the Sightline Society Aimed Towards Families,
Young Audiences and 25 to 40 Year-Old Demographic
Colorado Ballet's season campaign will include two new ways to
become involved with Colorado Ballet. The Discovery Series and the
Sightline Society are new ticket package options implemented to develop
new audiences. "There is much more to selling tickets than advertising
and promoting," says Keri Benell, Colorado Ballet's Public Relations and
Marketing Director. "People need to be engaged on a one-on-one level.
Based on research and observation, we've identified young audiences and
families, and the 25 to 40 year-old demographic as two audiences to
specially focus our marketing efforts on in the coming years."
The Discovery Series will cater to young audiences and families and will
be used as an education tool. One Discovery Series subscription includes
a ticket to Company Class, a special introductory lecture/demonstration
to be held on October 18th, 2:00 p.m. at the Buell Theater; an orchestra
ticket to THE NUTCRACKER for the performance of choice and an orchestra
ticket to COPPELIA for the performance of choice, all for $35 or a
Family Four Pack for $135. In addition, every Discovery Series
subscriber will receive a special CB.Pak - an informational booklet
containing a history and synopsis on each of the ballets, information on
Colorado Ballet, fun facts about ballet and Colorado Ballet dancers,
interactive activities to do at home, a resource list plus much more.
The deadline to subscribe to the Discovery Series is October 1st, 1997.
Company Class will be an interactive lecture/demonstration conducted by
Artistic Director Martin Fredmann and the dancers of Colorado Ballet.
"The idea behind Company Class is to give kids and their families a
basic understanding of ballet," explains Benell. "We want to introduce
ideas and concepts that they can then look for and apply when they come
back to see THE NUTCRACKER and COPPELIA. This multiple-exposure approach
makes the Discovery Series comprehensive and thus instills a first-hand
knowledge of and appreciation for ballet." Benell says it is this type
of educational program that will help to ensure Colorado Ballet's
audiences of tomorrow.
The Sightline Society will be marketed primarily to the 25 to 40 year-
old demographic. An annual membership to the Sightline Society is $25
and thereafter tickets to all productions during that year are only $10
each, with a limit of six tickets total for THE NUTCRACKER. For all
other productions, Sightline Society members may purchase as many
tickets as they wish based on availability. Seats for Sightline Society
members are in the balcony or the "sightline" section of the theater.
The concept of the Sightline Society was to make attending Colorado
Ballet performances fun, affordable and unintimidating. "Colorado
Ballet's Sightline Society could be compared to the Rock Pile at a
Rockies game or the South Stands at a Broncos game," Benell says.
"The tickets are extremely affordable, the performances are seen from a
unique vantage point, the crowd is enthusiastic and the membership
provides added value to the whole deal." Members will receive a card
that identifies them as a Sightline Society member and will also allow
them to receive special discounts at area restaurants and retail stores.
A membership to Colorado Ballet's Sightline Society may be purchased at
any time during the year and is good for one year from the date of
purchase.
"I am very excited and enthusiastic about the potential of our new
package options," says Benell. "Both are packed with incentive and aim
to not only bring people to the ballet, but to retain them as long-time
audience members."
For a free brochure on either the Discovery Series or the Sightline
Society, call (303) 837-8888.
*-www.travelbank.com-*
Reproduced, with permission, from TravelBank.com Systems.
Computer Information Utility, Travel & Recreation Information.
