| Dear PNB Families, As the new school year begins, we turn our focus to planning this season’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Every year, we look forward to the energy, joy, and laughter that fills the halls, and we are excited to welcome your children back into the theater for this holiday tradition. In this letter you will find all the information regarding auditions, casting, rehearsals, performances, and COVID-19 protocols for this year’s production. Much has changed since last season’s production. Our COVID protocols continue to shift as we closely monitor both local transmission and transmission within the PNB community. At this time, we plan to have all students unmasked during performances. We intend to cast as many students as possible and only cast students in multiple roles if necessary. We will cast “swing” roles in the initial casting process. All students, including those cast in swing roles, will have performance dates. Casting decisions are based on size, performing ability, musicality, technique, and behavior. Students must be no taller than 5’2” at the audition time. Students injured on the audition date are not eligible to audition for The Nutcracker. All casting decisions are made by the Artistic Staff. While we encourage all eligible students to audition, we do not have roles for every student who auditions. Please discuss the possibility of disappointment with your child before the audition. While participation in The Nutcracker is a rite of passage for a young dancer, it does require a considerable commitment of time and energy from the entire family at a busy time of year. Please consider the following before your child auditions for The Nutcracker. · Students are expected to be available for the entire rehearsal and performance period from October 3 through December 27, 2022. Please do not have your child audition if you anticipate any conflicts during that time. · We cannot excuse students from rehearsals or performances for vacations, family events, school events, etc.; the only acceptable reasons for missing rehearsal are illness, injury, and family emergencies. · Auditioning for The Nutcracker is a commitment from the student and parent. Dropping out of the production for any reason, other than illness, injury, or family emergency (including dissatisfaction with casting), is a break in the child’s commitment. The student will not be able to participate the following year if the commitment is broken. · All rehearsals and performances will be at the Phelps Center and McCaw Hall. Parents’ participation is essential to the success of The Nutcracker. All parent volunteers must complete a background check to be eligible for a volunteer position. Assignments will be made by Student Cast and Parent Volunteer Coordinator Lauren Kirchner. Please click here for detailed information on auditions and a general schedule, including rehearsals and performance dates and important meetings. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, September 25. Sincerely, Peter Boal & Artistic Staff Artistic Director |
