Arts & Entertainment
A West Hartford Family Brings the Magic to Connecticut Concert Ballet's Nutcracker
Eight families of Connecticut Concert Ballet have parents and children who are dancers and perform on stage together
Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl and her enchanted present. Central characters in the ballet are Clara’s magical uncle and her mother, also involved are Cherubs, Snowflakes and Spanish dancers. The four members of the Simoes family from West Hartford have major parts bringing this fantasy to life.
Father Arthur plays the role of Herr Drosselmeyer with panache. Drosselmeyer is the reason there is a Nutcracker and he brings toys to life. Real-life mother Leslie plays both the mother of Clara, Frau Stahlbaum and “Mother Ginger”, who has a lively household of Candy Canes, Gingerbread Children and Spice Drops. Daughters Isabella and Mia capably take care of the other roles, to entertain and watch after Clara during her extraordinary journey.
This enchanting traditional version has everything a Nutcracker connoisseur looks for, a giant Christmas tree that grows, twirling snowflakes, waltzing flowers, and a vision of a Sugar Plum Fairy. It also has 230 dancers from CCB and four very special guest artists Azamat Asangul Uulu, Katie Moorhead, Darren McIntyre and Rebecca DeNies.
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Three more shows are this weekend.
Bailey Auditorium at Manchester High School
134 Middle Turnpike East
Find out what's happening in West Hartfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Saturday, December 19th at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 20th at 2:00 p.m.
Advance Ticket Prices: Preferred Front & Center Seats $35; General Admission: Adult $25, Child/Student/Senior $15. Tickets are available online at www.connecticutnutcracker.com or in person at Dance Village, 171 Spencer St, Manchester and Hairdresser on Fire, 176 Broad St, Windsor. Tickets $38, $28, $18 at the door. Call 860-418-7294 for show information.
Connecticut Concert Ballet is a semi-professional 501(c)(3) classical ballet school and performing arts organization with studios in Manchester on the Glastonbury line and in Windsor at the Loomis Chaffee School; for info please visit www.ctconcertballet.org, call 860-643-4796 or visit us at www.facebook.com/connecticutconcertballet. CCB is a multi-year winner of “Best of Hartford” for Dance Lessons.
For more information on the Nutcracker please visit www.connecticutnutcracker.com or call 860-418-7294. Proceeds from the show fund our not-for-profit school year round, keeping the tuition and total cost for its students the lowest in the area. CCB’s Nutcracker was 2015 runner up for “Best of Hartford” Local Annual Event.
