Mark Foehringer's NUTCRACKER SWEETS Returns to San Francisco For 16th Holiday Season

Mark Foehringer Dance Project|SF has announced the 16th season of its annual holiday show, Mark Foehringer's Nutcracker Sweets, December 7-22 at the Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.

Mark Foehringer's Nutcracker Sweets is a unique 50-minute version of the Nutcracker specifically designed for families with young children. Since its inception in 2008, Mark Foehringer's Nutcracker Sweets has become an annual holiday tradition for many Bay Area families, as well as those who started attending as kids and now return as teens and young adults.

According to Mark Foehringer, Artistic Director of MFDP|SF and creator of Mark Foehringer's Nutcracker Sweets, "Each year, this holiday production has continued to grow and entice audience members looking for a non-traditional Nutcracker. Many folks have shared with me that Nutcracker Sweets feels like a dance theater production, not a traditional Nutcracker, and pure, unadulterated fun."

The production includes new choreography, scenic elements, costumes, and a scene where it snows on the audience. There is also a live 9-piece chamber orchestra with Keisuke Nakagoshi (San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Opera Parallele) as the pit conductor. Former ODC dancer Brian Fisher serves as the rehearsal director and artistic associate.

The cast includes Carlos Venturo (Director of School Programming, ODC) as Drosselmeyer, Vincent Chavez (Oakland Ballet, Robert Moses' KIN) as the Nutcracker, Theresa Knudson (Ballet 22) as Clara, and LizAnne Roman Roberts (FACT/SF) as Sugar Plum Fairy.

Additional roles performed by Samuel Melecio-Zambrano, Tracy Fuller, Jim Ballard, Erin McMahon, Emily Hansel, Jetta Martin, Diego Ramil, and Sonja Dale.

The Tchaikovsky score for the production was originally re-orchestrated by the late Maestro Michael Morgan of Oakland Symphony Orchestra; set design by Peter Crompton; costume design by Richard Battle; and production and projection design by Frédéric O. Boulay.

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