An Indianapolis holiday season tradition will be grander than ever before when the Indianapolis School of Ballet and Indianapolis Ballet partner to present the 11th annual production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, presented by Community Health Network at the Old National Centre. For a second straight year audiences will enjoy live musical accompaniment at the historic Murat Theatre, with the debuting Indianapolis Ballet Orchestra set to bring the magic of Tchaikovsky’s famous score to life.

This year’s production of the timeless holiday classic will feature a cast of nearly 90 performers including members of the new Indianapolis Ballet professional company in many of the ballet’s cherished roles, dozens of Central Indiana’s most talented young dancers and longtime crowd favorite Rafael Sanchez of RTV6 returning to the ballet’s opening party scene.

NUTCRACKER TEA PRE-SHOW RECEPTION

Families are invited to get a head start on their magical experience prior to the Opening Night performance on Thursday, Dec. 21, by attending Indianapolis School of Ballet’s “Nutcracker Tea” in the Murat Theatre’s Deco Room from 6:00-7:00 p.m.

During the Nutcracker Tea, guests will be able to meet and take photos with Nutcracker performers (photo opportunities available from 6:00-6:30), enjoy a complimentary hot chocolate buffet and holiday candy and take home a special-edition Nutcracker mug and commemorative poster.

Access to the Nutcracker Tea will cost $20 per person, with passes to the pre-show reception available as an “add-on” purchase with your performance tickets.