Houston Ballet closed its 2022 holiday season on a high note, with record-breaking numbers in terms of sales and attendance. HB performed 33 public and 3 student matinees that were sold to an average of 92% capacity, translating to over 15,000 households who experienced the magic of Stanton Welch’s sixth season of The Nutcracker.
Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2022). Houston Ballet Principals Beckanne Sisk as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Chase O’Connell as the Nutcracker Prince with Artists of Houston Ballet and Students of the Houston Ballet Academy in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. Courtesy of Houston Ballet
“This year had a spectacular run,” Jim Nelson, Houston Ballet’s Executive Director exclaims. “One of the best in our history, way above what we would expect and what we’ve seen historically. We had 78,000 come through the Wortham Theater Center. That’s a lot of people and a lot of joy!”
How wonderful was this year’s production of The Nutcracker? Oh let us count the ways…
- We held 36 performances
- Were awed by 61 company dancers,
- 190 Pre-Pro students and 59 Pro Program students,
- Riveted by 95 Houston Ballet Orchestra musicians
- Used 4,000 yards of netting to create tutus and petticoats
- Fitted over 400 costumes
- By 24 dressers, hair & makeup crew members
- Gasped at 450 square feet of synthetic rat hair!
- Got sprinkled on by 75 lbs of faux snow
- All without ever seeing the 36 stagehands behind the scenes
Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox (2021). Houston Ballet Principal Charles-Louis Yoshiyama as Drosselmeyer and Soloist Chandler Dalton as the Nutcracker with Students of Houston Ballet Academy
Also, this season of The Nutcracker we said so long and best wishes to:
Charles-Louis Yoshiyama as he moves onto his next chapter. Yoshiyama joined the Houston Ballet in 2008 after having won a contemporary award at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. His broad range includes a number of portrayals in Sir David Bintley’s Aladdin, Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, John Neumeier’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stanton Welch’s Giselle, Ben Stevenson’s The Sleeping Beauty, Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère, Ben Stevenson’s Don Quixote and in both Stanton Welch’s and Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker.
Photo by Amitava Sarkar (2019). Houston Ballet Principal Melody Mennite as Clara and First Soloist Allison Miller with Artists of Houston Ballet
We also celebrated First Soloist, Allison Miller in her last performance in The Nutcracker. Miller joined the Houston Ballet in 2006 with an extensive repertoire spanning Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, Giselle, Bob Stevenson’s The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Coppélia, George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Serenade, Ballo della Regina, Theme and Variations, and Emeralds. Miller’s arsenal also includes a number of roles in performances that were created with her as the inspiration; Justin Peck’s Reflections and Oliver Halkowich’s Following; and Stanton Welch’s Sons de L’âme and Paquita.
Many cheers and until next year…