For those who have found it hard to completely buy into the fairy-tale fantasy of Atlanta Ballet's "Nutcracker" without live musicians playing Tchaikovsky's romantic score, Christmas has come early.
The AJC has learned that the dance company, which cut live music in 2006 because of a then-mounting deficit, will bring back the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra for its entire run of 23 "Nutcracker" performances over five weeks starting Nov. 27 at the Fox Theatre.
In fact, thanks to an undisclosed donation from Alabama businesswoman and Atlanta Ballet board member Patti Wallace, the ballet will dance to live music for 2011 and 2012's "Nutcrackers," as well as other programs demanding live music over the three seasons, including "The Sleeping Beauty" in February at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
"There's an indescribable something about a live music performance in dance that captures the moment, and you can't replace that with recorded music," ballet executive director Arthur Jacobus said. "It's our objective to have live music at every performance where it's appropriate ... especially the classical works."
Gary Sheldon, 2010 winner of the American Prize in Conducting and principal conductor for Ohio's Lancaster Festival Orchestra and the Miami City Ballet, will guest conduct this year's "Nutcracker."
For the last two years, the ballet presented live music only on "Nutcracker's" opening weekend.
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