New York City Ballet and Marquee TV Present GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER

For the upcoming holiday season New York City Ballet and Marquee TV will bring viewers around the world NYCB's production of the beloved masterpiece George Balanchine's The Nutcracker in a special streaming event that will be available from December 11, 2020 through January 3, 2021 on Marquee TV. Tickets will be available for purchase starting November 27 at 10am EST at marquee.tv/nycbnutcracker and will be priced at $25 in the United States. (Prices will vary internationally.)

NYCB's landmark version of the Balanchine favorite premiered on February 2, 1954 and 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 cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the treasured classic had been performed by NYCB every year since its premiere more than 65 years ago.

Filmed during the Company's 2019 season at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, the Marquee TV broadcast features NYCB Principal Dancers Maria Kowroski as the Sugarplum Fairy, Tyler Angle as Her Cavalier, Megan Fairchild as Dewdrop, and more than 50 dancers from NYCB, the largest dance organization in America and one of the world's greatest ballet companies. The production also features the 62-piece New York City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton, and more than 60 children from the School of American Ballet, the official school of NYCB.

This film of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® was captured in 2019 for use in "On Pointe," an original six-part docu-series produced by Imagine Documentaries and DCTV that follows the lives of several SAB students during the 2019-20 school year, including the children who perform the roles of Marie and the Nutcracker prince in the film. The "On Pointe" docu-series will be available on Disney+ beginning December 18.

"New York City Ballet and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker are essential parts of the holiday season in New York City and we are thrilled that through our new partnership with Marquee TV audiences everywhere will now have the opportunity to experience the beauty and magic of this treasured classic in the comfort and safety of their own homes during what continues to be a very challenging year," said Jonathan Stafford, the Artistic Director of NYCB and SAB.

"The past nine months have certainly put the Marquee TV platform to the test. We've seen an incredible amount of growth and a humbling level of trust from our partners in the arts field, most of whom have had to quickly and drastically change the course of their 20-21 seasons," said Kathleya Afanador, co-founder of Marquee TV and Head of Content. "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® is not simply an iconic production-it's a cherished holiday tradition that brings joy to so many people every year. We're so pleased to be partnering with New York City Ballet to bring that joy to families and homes across the world."

"Each year New York City Ballet's live performances of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker provide a vital introduction to ballet for countless children who attend performances with their families, or attend special matinees for students from New York City's public schools," said Katherine Brown, Executive Director of NYCB. "For the past nine years The Travelers Companies, Inc. has helped to make this ongoing tradition possible with their generous sponsorship of the production. We are extremely grateful to have their support again this year, and we hope that more people than ever before will be able to make this cherished production a part of their holiday."

"We could not be more pleased to continue our support of New York City Ballet and are excited that this extraordinary production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® will be available for families everywhere to enjoy this holiday season," said Lisa Caputo, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience at Travelers.