New York City Children's Theater's Holiday Tradition MY FIRST NUTCRACKER to Return To Theatre Row

New York City Children's Theater's (NYCCT) holiday tradition, My First Nutcracker, returns to Theatre Row from December 1st - 21st!

My First Nutcracker, an interactive adaptation of the holiday classic, is the new hit dance/theater production for the whole family.

Adapted for young audiences by Barbara Zinn Krieger (Artistic Director and Founder of NYCCT) and directed and choreographed by Melissa Riker ((Artistic Director and Choreographer of Kinesis Project dance theatre), My First Nutcracker centers on Clara-Marie, emphasizing her agency and bravery. The show invites young theatergoers and their families to use their imagination and participate in the fun throughout the production.

Director and Choreographer Melissa Riker says, "This year My First Nutcracker has brand new dances for our audiences to experience! And, for everyone who joins us, big or small, we can't wait to share Clara's journey! There are so many ways an adventurous spirit and imagination can be felt through dance."

My First Nutcracker will play at Theatre Row, a program of Building for the Arts, NY, from December 1st - 21st. Tickets begin at $52.50, though a limited amount of pay what you choose tickets are available for each performance. The show runs approximately 50 minutes and is best for ages 3-8, but fun for the whole family.

For more information on the performance, visit https://www.nycchildrenstheater.org/show/my-first-nutcracker/

Directed and Choreographed by Melissa Riker

Adapted for young audiences by Barbara Zinn Krieger

Featuring the Music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Casting by Brent Bejsovec

The production stars Kalia Burritt, Kaylin Johnson, Nick Alselmo, and Samuel Saint Juste. Alex Oliva and Kyle Marra join the company as swings.

The creative team for My First Nutcracker includes Theron Wineinger (Scenic Designer), Annie Simon (Costume Designer), Carolyn Wong (Lighting Designer), Megan Cully (Sound Designer), Evangeline Dillard (Properties Manager), Mia Qin (Production Stage Manager), and Olivia Mancini (Assistant Stage Manager).

NYCCT is excited to partner with Schnipper's this season. Audience members will save 10% on their meal when they show a My First Nutcracker ticket stub or program at the Times Square location after your performance! Learn more about Schnipper's!

About Melissa Riker

Melissa Riker is the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Kinesis Project dance theatre, a New York and Seattle based outdoor dance company. Melissa is a New York City dancer and choreographer who emerged as a strong performance and creative voice as the NYC dance and circus worlds combined. Riker's dances and aesthetic layer her training as a classical dancer, martial artist, theatre choreographer, and aerial performer. She has worked in theatre, film and with visual artists. She creates dances on site - and in context. With Kinesis Project, Riker invents large-scale outdoor performances and spontaneous moments of dance as crafted, spectacular, public art experiences.

Melissa is an Artist in Residence with Nord Anglia International School New York, serving the NAISNY community as a creative artist in classrooms and creative expression. In addition to Kinesis Project, Riker is Executive Producer of the EstroGenius Festival, Co-Director of Women in Motion, and Founder of the Dance Rising Collective.

Her work as a choreographer in public spaces informs her sense of justice, inclusion, and accessibility of the arts in New York City and beyond. Dance Rising is her most recent endeavor along with nine other dance artists and administrators aiming to advocate for the dance field in NYC and nationally.

Melissa is thrilled to have her work in the annual NYCCT canon to inspire future generations of creative, empathetic, and resilient minds and bodies.

About Barbara Zinn Krieger

Barbara Zinn Krieger founded New York City Children's Theater during her 22-year tenure as Executive Director and Founder of New York's Tony Award-winning Vineyard Theatre. Barbara has written children's operas and musicals for over 25 years. With composer James Kurtz, she wrote The Merry Muldoons (Kupferberg Center at Queens College) and Appelemando's Dreams (Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Kupferberg Center at Queens College). She collaborated with composer Charles Greenberg on Little Kit (Eugene O'Neill Theater Center), Young Charles Dickens, The Butterfly, Jose Limon: The Making of an Artist, and Sky Boys: The Building of the Empire State Building (New York City Children's Theater). Also, for New York City Children's Theater, she wrote the book and lyrics for Beautiful Warrior (Jin Xiang, composer), the book and additional lyrics for The Upside Down Boy (lyrics by Juan Felipe Herrera, music by Christian Amigo), and the books for The Orphan Singer (music by Antonio Vivaldi), Wanda's Monster, The Amazing Adventures of Harvey and the Princess, and Interstellar Cinderella (music and lyrics by Laurie Berkner), The Emperor's New Clothes and More Magical Stories by Hans Christian Andersen (directed by Adrienne Kapstein), Pillowland (directed by Khalia Davis), Same Same, But Different with Maximillian Gill (Directed by Sammy Lopez), and dance/dramas Ballerina Swan, Ballerina Swan and the Nutcracker, (choreography by Michael McGowan), This is Sadie (choreography by Stephanie Klemons), and My First Nutcracker,(choreography by Melissa Riker). Barbara is the librettist for the adult opera Clara: The Life and Loves of Clara Schumann, music composed by Victoria Bond, which premiered in April 2019 in Baden-Baden, Germany; and Dickens and Nelly, an adult two-act musical with composer Charles Greenberg. Barbara's latest projects for NYCCT include the drama Fish in a Tree (directed by Sammy Lopez and Melissa Jessel), dance/drama Pinocchio (direction and choreography by Stephanie Klemons), and Interstellar Cinderella Returns (music and lyrics by Laurie Berkner). Barbara is a recipient of the Opera America Distinguished Service Award and was inducted into the Off-Broadway Hall of Fame in 2020 as a Legend of Off-Broadway. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Columbia University School of the Arts and an MA in Speech and Theater from Columbia University Teachers College.

About New York City Children's Theater

New York City Children's Theater's mission is to promote children's literacy and social development through sustainable, accessible professional theater productions and arts-in-education programs. Our programs cultivate children's growth in the areas of emotional intelligence, community building, and responsible decision-making. The result is empathetic, creative, and independent thinkers who make a positive impact on their world.

New York City Children's Theater's local and nationally recognized arts-in-education programs and professional theater productions have served over 420,000 children and adults across all five boroughs and surrounding communities in the tri-state area.

NYCCT is a proud member of the Broadway Green Alliance and is dedicated to keeping our programming sustainable.

To learn more, visit www.nycchildrenstheater.org.

Facebook & Instagram: @nycchildrenstheater

Email: boxoffice@nycchildrenstheater.org

 

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