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December 12, 2007

Holiday entertainment: 'A Christmas Carol' or 'The Nutcracker'?

When my family and I moved here nearly eight years ago, we were surprised to learn that the big holiday entertainment tradition in Providence was Trinity Rep's "A Christmas Carol."

In Pittsburgh, "the" fast-selling holiday ticket was the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's annual performance of "The Nutcracker." Like Trinity Rep's annual show, the tickets sold out fast, and many families went year after year because they loved the show so much.

Photo by Thomas Nola-Rion
Festival Ballet: The classic shot with the Snow King and Queen in the center of the snowflakes.

So early on in our tenure as Rhode Islanders, we started going to see "The Nutcracker" by the Festival Ballet in Providence. This year's show runs through Sunday at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The 23 dancers in the troupe will be joined by 80 children, a live orchestra and a chorus. Performances are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. For tickets, $18 to $60, call (401) 421-2787 or visit www.ppacri.org. The theater is at 220 Weybosset St., Providence.

In addition to Tchaikovsky's beautiful music and the stirring dance performances, the show always features a great little gift shop in the lobby, where you can pick up your very own nutcracker -- I happen to collect them, and I can never get enough. They also have lots of other gift ideas, too. Be sure to wear your holiday finest if you go.

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 3:09 PM to Christmas 2007 | Permalink

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