Single tickets will go on sale Tuesday, September 5, for Nashville Ballet’s 2006-2007 Season, featuring a world-premiere interpretation of the legend of Lizzie Borden, a ballet with local singer/songwriters from Bluebird Cafe, the Nutcracker holiday tradition and the world’s most recognized classical ballet, Swan Lake .
Single tickets range in price from $19 to $52 for shows in Polk Theater and $19 to $57 for shows in Jackson Hall. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at 615.255.ARTS, www.ticketmaster.com, or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets can also be purchased at the TPAC box office downtown (no Ticketmaster fees) or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills. Group tickets also go on sale September 5, 2006 . To purchase group tickets, please call TPAC at 615.782.4004.
Fall Series: The Legend of Lizzie Borden
October 6-8, 2006 , Polk Theater at TPAC
The highlight of the fall series is Artistic Director Paul Vasterling’s own spin on the infamous legend of Lizzie Borden. In 1892, she was found innocent of the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother, a verdict that is still debated to this day. This original ballet is choreographed to Fall River Legend, composer Morton Gould’s dark musical interpretation of Lizzie Borden’s controversial story. Come judge for yourself; did she or didn’t she? (Brief nudity, parental discretion advised.)
The Nashville Symphony performs for The Legend of Lizzie Borden and the three accompanying ballets: Journey, Serenade and Lydian Fanfares. Salvatore Aiello’s Journey showcases the athleticism of the company’s male dancers. George Balanchine’s beautiful Serenade, his first ballet performed in the United States , is set to the music of Tchaikovsky. The program will also include a special tribute to the late Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn with a ballet set to his composition, Lydian Fanfares.
Holiday Series: Nutcracker
December 15-23, 2006 , Jackson Hall at TPAC
Nashville Ballet’s Nutcracker has become a true holiday tradition, with its colorful sets and costumes, world-class dance and Tchaikovsky’s classic score, performed live by The Nashville Symphony.
Nashville Ballet and a 200-member youth cast bring to life the tale of Clara and her magical Nutcracker doll as they dance the world’s most-beloved ballet, taking the audience on a journey through the Land of Sweets and the Snow Kingdom . And to add a unique Nashville flair to every performance, special celebrity guests once again will dance the role of Mother Ginger.
Whether it’s your first time or an annual event, treat yourself and your family to the beauty and wonder of Nutcracker. It’s the perfect way to kick off your holiday season.
Winter Series: Bluebird Cafe at the Ballet II
February 16-18, 2007 , Polk Theater at TPAC
An appearance at the Bluebird Cafe can be a ticket to Music City stardom. Nashville Ballet and local singers/songwriters present an all-new production, Bluebird Cafe at the Ballet II, featuring two of the Bluebird’s most recognized performers — Jonell Mosser and Gary Nicholson.
Mosser, a fixture at Bluebird since 1987, will be joined by Nashville Ballet for an interpretation of classic Nashville songs like I Fall to Pieces and You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man. The music of Gary Nicholson, another Bluebird regular who has penned hits for Garth Brooks, George Jones, Ringo Starr and more, will be interpreted by award-winning choreographer Gina Patterson of Ballet Austin, whose works have also been commissioned by Ballet Florida and Ballet Pacifica.
The evening will also feature Ploughing the Dark, choreographed by award - winning independent choreographer Sarah Slipper, which premiered in 2004 as part of Nashville Ballet and Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music’s collaborative project, Emergence. It features dance to a score by Vanderbilt composer Michael Kurek. Plus, a capella legends The Princely Players will perform in a unique gospel ballet choreographed by Robert Philander-Valentine.
Spring Series: Swan Lake
April 27-29, 2007 , Jackson Hall at TPAC
Perhaps the world’s best-known classical ballet, Swan Lake tells the timeless story of love found, lost and recaptured. Featuring a full cast of extraordinary dancers, beautiful sets and stunning choreography, the ballet is accompanied by The Nashville Symphony, performing Tchaikovsky’s enduring score.
In the story, Prince Siegfried falls in love with Princess Odette after watching her beautiful moonlit dance. But Odette is turned into a swan each morning by an evil sorcerer. The spell can be broken only if a prince pledges eternal love to the princess. However, Siegfried is tricked into proclaiming his love for the sorcerer’s own daughter Odile, who is Odette’s evil twin.
For more than a century, Swan Lake has engaged audiences and inspired new generations of dancers, who are challenged by the ballet’s technical demands and the need to express a full range of human emotions — from hope to despair, terror to tenderness, melancholy to ecstasy.
Subscription Tickets
Subscriptions to Nashville Ballet’s 2006-2007 Season are available through TPAC’s Subscriber Services. Out-of-town subscribers, call 1.800.410.4216. For more information, call Nashville Ballet at 615.297.2966, ext. 12 or 28. Prices range from $45.50 - $174.00. Four-show and three-show subscriptions are offered and are priced at a 20 percent discount from single-ticket prices, while a Flex Pass subscription allows subscribers to purchase a minimum of six vouchers to be used for any regular season production, date, time and the best possible seating.