New York City Ballet Cancels Remaining THE NUTCRACKER Performances

New York City Ballet has canceled all remaining performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® through Sunday, January 2 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts due to a number of additional positive test results for breakthrough COVID-19 among people involved in the production.

In making the announcement, NYCB Executive Director Kathy Brown and Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford said, "While New York City Ballet had hoped to resume performances this evening we have made the decision that continuing to perform at this time would not be in the best interest of the NYCB community, whose health and safety is our number one priority. We are extraordinarily proud of everyone who safely came together to present 30 beautiful performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in recent weeks, and we are also very grateful to the thousands of people who attended."

Audience members holding tickets for the canceled performances can receive a full refund or donate the value of their tickets to NYCB as a tax-deductible charitable contribution. Donations can be processed by emailing customercare@nycballet.com and including "Donate My Nutcracker Tickets" in the subject line, or visiting the David H. Koch Theater box office. Refunds will be automatically processed for all ticket buyers who have not donated their tickets by January 10.

New York City Ballet's (NYCB) acclaimed production of Balanchine's masterpiece, which premiered on February 2, 1954, helped to establish The Nutcracker and its score as perennial favorites in the United States. A signature event of the holiday season in New York City, with the exception of the 2020 season when performances were canceled due to the COVID-19 shutdowns, the treasured classic had been performed by NYCB every year since its premiere more than 65 years ago.

Highlights of this world-renowned holiday production include a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures 9 feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production's grand finale involves one million watts of lighting, the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Tickets are currently on sale online at nycballet.com, in person at the theater box office, and by phone at (212) 496-0600. The David H. Koch Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.