DECEMBER 1–30 2018–2019 SEASON CONTENT PARTNER
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2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon December 1–30, 2018 2 | Letter from Ashley Wheater 3 | Letter from Greg Cameron 5 | The Nutcracker Program 6 | Synopsis 10 | Ballet Notes 14 | Artists of the Company 16 | Bios 24 | Joffrey Boards 26 | Supporters 40 | Make It Better: Eat, Drink and Be Merry 46 | Making The Nutcracker a Tradition
THE JOFFREY BALLET ASHLEY WHEATER The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director GREG CAMERON President and CEO Graphic Design: CHIRP DESIGN, INC. 312.226.5333 lynda@chirp-design.com Print: ACTIVE GRAPHICS 708.656.8900 active-us.com 2018–2019 Season Content Partner: MAKE IT BETTER
Cover Image: Miguel Angel Blanco and Amanda Assucena in The Nutcracker. Above: Fabrice Calmels in The Nutcracker. | Photos by Cheryl Mann. Snowflake illustration throughout program by Andrea Selby.
PERFORMS AT:
50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago
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Certain moments define a city and set the trajectory of its future. Just two decades after the devastation of the Great Chicago Fire, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 marked the city’s rebirth. The Fair symbolized the dynamism of this young American metropolis and celebrated the resilience of its people. In the words of Peter Bacon Hales, “The White City was a utopian city, a model for redefining modern urban life, a striking contradiction of the “Grey City” of industrialism, capitalism, labor strife, disease, overcrowding, vast gulfs of class and race and equal gulfs between architectural monuments and the shacks…that characterized the chaotic and unpredictable conditions of urban life.” Imagine that you are a child, wandering amongst the monuments and gardens of the Exposition. One structure, the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts building enclosed 1.3 million square feet of space beneath massive steel arches soaring 206 feet overhead. Imagine that your home is one of the shacks mentioned above. This is the world in which Marie, the young heroine of Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker, finds herself. Straddling the splendor and the shanties, she lives amongst a community of friends. Marie is the daughter of an immigrant sculptor, a widowed mother working on the Statue of the Republic for the new world’s fair. They live a humble life, but one filled with love and the support of those around them. I am proud of this Nutcracker: showcasing the city which is my adopted home, following the dreams of young Marie who, in exploring the Fair, discovers herself. We return to The Nutcracker year after year because of its enduring message. Beyond the glamor of the shimmering White City and the bustle of the Midway, a small girl finds her true family. Happy Holidays,
Ashley Wheater The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director
2 | The Joffrey Ballet
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
At last people seem to be here absolutely for the express purpose of enjoyment. Earlier in the season visitors at the Fair were a trifle shy, very much overdressed and very much entrenched within a quiet, uncomfortable dignity... — Fairgoer’s reaction, 1893
Welcome to the magic of The Nutcracker—our primary goal being “the express purpose of enjoyment!” You cannot be over or underdressed. All we ask is that you sit back and be comfortable as you join us on an adventure that is certain to capture your heart—a story that captures our shared search for belonging, love, and family. In three short years Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker has become a new Joffrey tradition. We at the Joffrey celebrate you and those that have made it possible for us to support the voices of—artists: choreographers, musicians, puppeteers, costumers, lighting and set designers, and of course the INCOMPARABLE Joffrey dancers. The 2018 presentation of The Nutcracker is generously supported by Jewell Events Catering and the Joffrey’s newest corporate partner Citi.® We are honored to be among the organizations they support in Chicago. Again, without you, our dignified but not shy audience, we would have no reason to dance... Please meet me on the construction site of the Fair and join in a story that started over 125 years ago as families welcomed winter and the holiday season. With absolute appreciation,
Greg Cameron President and CEO
The Joffrey Ballet | 3
ASHLEY WHEATER The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director GREG CAMERON President and CEO ROBERT JOFFREY Founder GERALD ARPINO Founder Artists of The Company Derrick Agnoletti | Yoshihisa Arai | Amanda Assucena | Edson Barbosa | Miguel Angel Blanco Evan Boersma | Anais Bueno | Fabrice Calmels | Valeria Chaykina | Nicole Ciapponi Lucia Connolly | April Daly | Derek Drilon | Fernando Duarte | Olivia Duryea Cara Marie Gary | Anna Gerberich | Stefan Goncalvez | Luis Eduardo Gonzalez Dylan Gutierrez | Rory Hohenstein | Dara Holmes | Yuka Iwai | Victoria Jaiani | Hansol Jeong Gayeon Jung | Yumi Kanazawa | Brooke Linford | Greig Matthews | Graham Maverick Jeraldine Mendoza | Xavier Núñez | Princess Reid | Aaron Renteria | Christine Rocas Julia Rust | Chloé Sherman | Leticia Stock | Temur Suluashvili | Olivia Tang-Mifsud Alonso Tepetzi | Elivelton Tomazi | Alberto Velazquez | Joanna Wozniak Valentino Moneglia Zamora | Joan Sebastián Zamora
SCOTT SPECK Music Director BRADLEY RENNER General Manager BLAIR BALDWIN Company Manager NICOLAS BLANC | ADAM BLYDE | SUZANNE LOPEZ Ballet Masters | Principal Coaches GRACE KIM | MICHAEL MORICZ Company Pianists CODY CHEN Production Manager KATHERINE SELIG Principal Stage Manager AMANDA HEUERMANN Stage Manager Patrons are requested to turn off pagers, cellular phones, and signal watches during performances. The taking of photographs and the use of recording devices are not allowed in this auditorium. Program and artists subject to change. 4 | The Joffrey Ballet
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon Live Accompaniment by The Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra Choreography © by CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON Music by PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Act I Party Scene Music Arranged by LJOVA Story by BRIAN SELZNICK Staged by NICOLAS BLANC, ADAM BLYDE, and SUZANNE LOPEZ Set and Costume Design and Mask Creation by JULIAN CROUCH Lighting by NATASHA KATZ Puppetry and Effects by BASIL TWIST Projection Design by 59 PRODUCTIONS Choreographer’s Assistant JACQUELIN BARRETT Children’s Ballet Masters SUZANNE LOPEZ, CAITLIN MEIGHAN, and MICHAEL SMITH Assistant Scenic Designer FRANK MCCULLOUGH Assistant Lighting Designer JON GOLDMAN Puppetry and Effects Built by TANDEM OTTER PRODUCTIONS WORLD PREMIERE | The Joffrey Ballet, December 10, 2016, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
SPECIAL THANKS TO ATT MARSDEN, CRITERION PRODUCTIONS, M Nutcracker Production Consultant TROY FUJIMURA, Media Programmer TIFFANY LANGE and CYNTHIA VON ORTHAL, Large-scale Costume Props CHICAGO SCENIC STUDIOS, Scenic Construction HEATRICAL LIGHTING CONNECTION, T Preferred Lighting Vendor
Casting details for performances of The Nutcracker can be found on the program insert.
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SYNOPSIS 6 | The Joffrey Ballet
The Nutcracker ACT I It is Christmas Eve in Chicago, 1892. Workers from around the world are constructing the World’s Columbian Exposition, which will open in five months. Marie, the daughter of one of the workers, encounters a group of boys on the construction site who show off things they’ve stolen. Marie’s younger brother Franz steals a small red bundle from a rich boy’s sled, and a Rat Catcher terrifies Franz. Marie and Franz return to their home, a little shack where their widowed mother, a sculptress, is creating a great golden statue, which will preside over the fair. Workers from the fair and their families soon arrive at the shack with decorations, a small tree, and much food and drink. A wonderful Christmas party begins. The man who has designed and created the World’s Fair, a mysterious figure known as The Great Impresario, surprises everyone and shows up, along with his apprentice (the rich boy from whom Franz stole the red bundle earlier). The Great Impresario entertains the workers with an enchanting vision of his fair. He distributes gifts for everyone, but one is missing. Franz realizes it’s the red bundle he’d stolen. The Great Impresario produces it like a magic trick and gives it to Marie. She unwraps it and discovers a beautiful nutcracker inside. Just then, the Rat Catcher frightens Franz,
The Joffrey Ballet in The Nutcracker. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
That night something very strange happens. Marie awakens and is shocked to see rats kidnap Franz! The Great Impresario returns, and with a wave of his hand, the little tree from the party grows until it seems to have taken over the entire world. The Nutcracker, now life-size and alive, appears from within its branches. The Rat King leads a battle against the Nutcracker. Marie distracts the Rat King and the Nutcracker kills him. Franz is rescued, and the rats carry off their king, vowing revenge. The Nutcracker is transformed into Prince Peter. It begins to snow. A magical gondola comes to take The Great Impresario, the Prince, and Marie off into the night. ACT II The gondola delivers The Great Impresario, the Prince, and Marie to the edge of a lake, where they are greeted by the Queen of the Fair, a vision in gold. The Queen grants them a visit to the Dream Fair. They move from pavilion to pavilion, where countries from around the world are represented. Soon The Great Impresario and the Queen of the Fair have fallen in love, which causes the Dream Fair to explode with light. Marie wakes up from her dazzling dream. It is Christmas Day.
SYNOPSIS
who drops the nutcracker, breaking it. It is swiftly fixed by The Great Impresario, but the party is now winding to a close and soon everyone leaves.
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2018–2019 SEASON SPONSORS
LIVE MUSIC SPONSORS Sandy and Roger Deromedi The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music
PRODUCTION SPONSORS SWAN LAKE
ANNA KARENINA
Production Sponsor
Producing Sponsors
Sage Foundation
Margot and Josef Lakonishok NIB Foundation
THE NUTCRACKER
Major Sponsors
Production Sponsors
Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark Nancy and Sanfred Koltun Jane Ellen Murray Foundation Diane and John Patience Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson
With gratitude to The Nutcracker commissioning sponsors
Margot and Josef Lakonishok Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa
Sponsors
And the many “Believers”
Ethel and William Gofen Bill and Orli Staley Foundation ANDREA WALKER WORLD PREMIERE Production Sponsor
Denise Littlefield Sobel 8 | The Joffrey Ballet
WORLD PREMIERE
ANNA KARENINA FEBRUARY 13–24, 2019 312.386.8905 | JOFFREY.ORG 2018–2019 SEASON SPONSORS
Victoria Jaiani and Alberto Velazquez. | Photo by Cheryl Mann. | Shot on location at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Chicago.
PERFORMS AT:
50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago
BALLET NOTES
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Rory Hohenstein and Alonso Tepetzi. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker was conceived specifically for the great city of Chicago. When asked by Artistic Director Ashley Wheater to create a new version of the ballet, they agreed it needed to be set in Chicago, home for over 20 years to the Joffrey. Re-imagining a story as classic as The Nutcracker is always a challenge, but one Wheeldon was eager to take on. Tchaikovsky’s beloved score conjures unforgettable images in our minds, and it is almost impossible to imagine a Nutcracker without a magical growing Christmas tree or a battle between toys and mice, but Wheeldon knew immediately there was room for his imagination to take over. The decision was quickly made to place the ballet within the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, which has taken on new life in popular culture as the subject of Eric Larson’s brilliant book The Devil in the White City. This mysterious, dark and magical moment in Chicago’s history seemed the perfect time and place to re-invent The Nutcracker, even though the fair only ran from May 1st to October 30th, 1893, which means it had closed by Christmastime. We realized it would be thrilling to set the ballet five months before the fair opened, in the winter of 1892, when the fairgrounds were still under construction. A historic image of a shack on the construction site became central to our new story, and you will see a version of it on stage in the ballet. This photograph also perfectly supported Wheeldon’s wish to bring in a new socio-economic plotline for The Nutcracker. Instead of the central family being wealthy and privileged, our heroine, Marie, is from a working class, immigrant family. She lives with her younger brother and her widowed mother, a sculptress working on the golden Statue of the Republic. Instead of receiving luxurious and rare presents at a magnificent party in a vast house and then dreaming of even more presents and candy, our story offers a small gathering of immigrant workers coming together to celebrate the holiday with the things they have, filling the air with music and their vivid imaginations. Then, once Marie falls asleep in her shack, she dreams of what the fair will look like when it opens. The fair itself was a kind of dream city, a vision of what could happen when the whole world comes together to show the best side of humanity in all its glorious ingenuity. So Marie’s dream coming five months before the fair opens becomes a kind of dream within a dream, which has real consequences for Marie once she wakes up.
BALLET NOTES
THE NUTCRACKER
The Joffrey Ballet | 11
BALLET NOTES 12 | The Joffrey Ballet
For anyone who has visited Epcot Center in Florida, the idea of a World’s Fair will be familiar. Countries from around the world set up vast pavilions to celebrate their native foods, arts and sciences. This provides the perfect setting for Marie’s journey in Act II as she travels throughout the Dream Fair, which depicts actual pavilions from the fair including Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. The chief architect of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 was a man named Daniel Burnham, and he provided inspiration for the character of The Great Impresario. He is mysterious and magical (like Drosselmeyer in the original), and he not only serves as the imaginative force behind our version of the fair, but also comes to play a real role in Marie’s life. It is this transformation of Marie’s life that ultimately became what was most important to this new version of The Nutcracker. While being respectful of the source material, we hope that Marie’s dream journey through the World’s Fair will illuminate what is special about all holiday stories…the value of love, the need for hope and the comfort of family, no matter where you are from, or what type of family you have. This seems like a dream worth remembering. — Brian Selznick, Author
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
The Joffrey Ballet is growing at an unprecedented rate. Will you grow with us? Take The Lakonishok Challenge today by donating to Joffrey’s Annual Fund, and join the hundreds of Joffrey advocates who have done the same. To donate, please visit JOFFREY.ORG/DONATE or call 312.386.8974
RISE TO THE
CHALLENGE
Jeraldine Mendoza in The Nutcracker. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
PARTY LIKE ITs 1893 TREASURES FROM THE WHITE CITY The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893
Image: View across the west end of the main basin at the World’s Columbian Exposition world’s fair, Chicago, Illinois, 1893. Chicago History Museum, ICHi-018013.
Treasures from the White City: The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 is organized by the Richard H. Driehaus Museum and is part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art exploring Chicago’s art and design legacy, with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
SEPT 8 – JAN 6 DRIEHAUSMUSEUM.ORG 40 EAST ERIE STREET CHICAGO
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2018 2019 SEASON
Derrick Agnoletti San Jose, CA
Nicole Ciapponi
Vancouver, Canada
Lucia Connolly
Yoshihisa Arai
Amanda Assucena* Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
April Daly
Derek Drilon*
Fernando Duarte*
Hiroshima, Japan
Los Angeles, CA
Rockford, IL
Dylan Gutierrez
Rory Hohenstein
Dara Holmes*
Graham Maverick
Jeraldine Mendoza
Olivia Tang-Mifsud
Alonso Tepetzi*
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
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Washington, D.C.
San Francisco, CA
Orizaba, Mexico
Wilmington, NC
Xavier Núùez
Vancouver, WA
Yuka Iwai*
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Victoria Jaiani
Iwate, Japan
Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia
Princess Reid
Aaron Renteria
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Jacksonville, FL
Elivelton Tomazi*
Alberto Velazquez
Santa Catarina, Brazil
Edson Barbosa
Havana, Cuba
Corona, CA
Joanna Wozniak
Rolling Meadows, IL
Photos by Cheryl Mann.
Valeria Chaykina
Miguel Angel Blanco
Evan Boersma* Chicago, IL
Córdoba, Mexico
Anais Bueno
Fabrice Calmels Paris, France
St. Petersburg, Russia
Olivia Duryea*
Cara Marie Gary
Anna Gerberich
Stefan Goncalvez
Luis Eduardo Gonzalez
Gayeon Jung
Yumi Kanazawa
Brooke Linford*
Julia Rust
Chloé Sherman
Havana, Cuba
Haslett, MI
Hansol Jeong
Namyangju, South Korea
Christine Rocas
Manila, Philippines
Belton, SC
Seoul, Korea
Noblesville, IN
Dillsburg, PA
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
São Paulo, Brazil
Alpine, UT
Leticia Stock
Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Bogota, Colombia
Greig Matthews
Aberdeen, Great Britain
Temur Suluashvili
Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia
2018–2019 ARTISTS OF THE COMPANY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DANCERS, VISIT:
JOFFREY.ORG/ARTISTS
Valentino Moneglia Zamora* Murcia, Spain
Joan Sebastián Zamora Cali, Colombia
■ NEW JOFFREY ARTISTS *JOFFREY ACADEMY OF DANCE ALUMNI The Joffrey Ballet | 15
BIOS ASHLEY WHEATER The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Born in Scotland and raised in England, Ashley Wheater was trained at The Royal Ballet School. Wheater began his professional career with The Royal Ballet and danced at the London Festival Ballet, The Australian Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. In 1997, he became Ballet Master at San Francisco Ballet, and in 2002, Assistant to the Artistic Director. In 2007, Wheater was appointed Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. New work is the life blood of a company, and he has introduced numerous premieres to the repertoire. In 2008, the Boeing Corporation recognized his commitment to community outreach and diversity in the world of dance, presenting him the “Game Changer” award. In 2010, Wheater, representing The Joffrey Ballet, was named Lincoln Academy Laureate, the highest honor presented by the State of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune selected Wheater as 2013 “Chicagoan of the Year” for his contributions to dance. In 2014, Wheater accepted the Chicago Spirit of Innovation Award for The Joffrey Ballet and in 2015, he received the University of Chicago Rosenberger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Creative and Performing Arts. He also serves as The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of the Joffrey Academy of Dance, the Official School of The Joffrey Ballet.
SCOTT SPECK Music Director Scott Speck has inspired international acclaim as a conductor of passion, intelligence, and winning personality. In addition to his position as Music Director for the Joffrey, he is the Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic and Music Director of the Mobile (AL) and West Michigan Symphony Orchestras. He has led major orchestras at London’s Royal Opera House, the Paris Opera, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center. He has been Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet; Music Advisor/Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony; and Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera. He was named Principal Guest Conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing. Speck is the co-author of three of the world’s best-selling books on classical music and dance: Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. These books have been translated into twenty languages and are available around the world. A Fulbright scholar and summa cum laude graduate of Yale; Speck is a regular commentator on NPR, the BBC, ABC Australia, and Voice of Russia. He has been featured in TED talks and at the Aspen Ideas Festival. His writing appears in numerous magazines and journals.
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BIOS CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON OBE Director & Choreographer Trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined The Royal Ballet in 1991. In 1993, he joined New York City Ballet and was promoted to Soloist in 1998. He was named NYCB’s first Resident Choreographer in July 2001. Since then, Wheeldon has created and staged productions for many of the world’s major ballet companies. In 2007, Wheeldon founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and was appointed an Associate Artist for Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. Wheeldon now serves as Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet. As Artistic Associate, Wheeldon created many works, including the full-length Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale, both of which were co-productions with The National Ballet of Canada. Photo by Angela Sterling.
For the Metropolitan Opera, he choreographed Dance of the Hours for Ponchielli’s La Gioconda (2006) and Richard Eyre’s production of Carmen (2012) as well as ballet sequences for the feature film Center Stage (2000) and Sweet Smell of Success on Broadway (2002). Wheeldon created a special excerpt for the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. In April 2016, he was the Artistic Director for the Fashion Forward exhibition in Paris at La Musée Arts et Décoratif. In 2014, Wheeldon directed and choreographed the musical version of An American in Paris, which had productions in Paris, on Broadway, and in London. 2016 was The Joffrey Ballet’s world premiere of The Nutcracker reimagined by Wheeldon and he directed and choreographed the gala presentation of Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon starring Kelli O’Hara and Patrick Wilson at New York City Center in 2017. Among Wheeldon’s awards are a Tony Award® for Best Choreography for An American in Paris, an Outer Critics Award for Best Choreography and Direction for An American in Paris, the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, the American Choreography Award, the Dance Magazine Award, multiple London Critics’ Circle Awards, and the Leonard Massine Prize for new choreography. Wheeldon’s productions of Cinderella and The Winter’s Tale won the Benois de la Danse, and he is an Olivier Award winner for his ballets Aeternum for The Royal Ballet and Polyphonia for Morphoses. In 2016, Wheeldon was named an OBE (Order of the British Empire) and was made an Honorary Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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BIOS
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
PYOTR (PETER) ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Composer Pyotr (Peter) Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) composed some of the most beloved themes in all of classical music. Tchaikovsky started piano lessons at age four and showed remarkable talent, eventually surpassing his own teacher’s abilities. At age ten, he was sent to St. Petersburg to study at the School of Jurisprudence. In 1859, he took a position as a civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, but longed for a career in music, attending concerts and operas at every opportunity. He finally began study in harmony at age 21, and enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory the following year, eventually studying with the illustrious composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein. In Moscow, Tchaikovsky became associated with the Bolshoi Theatre, and there he composed his first ballet, Swan Lake, in 1875. Within a few years Tchaikovsky was an established composer, beloved throughout Russia. Among his works are six numbered symphonies, three ballets, several operas, three piano concertos, a violin concerto, several tone poems including Romeo and Juliet, several piano and chamber pieces, and the Serenade for Strings.
BRIAN SELZNICK Story Adaptation Brian Selznick is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Invention of Hugo Cabret, winner of the Caldecott medal and the basis for the Oscar-winning movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. His best-selling book Wonderstruck was recently made into a movie directed by Todd Haynes (with a screenplay by Selznick), starring Julianne Moore. His newest book, Baby Monkey, Private Eye, written by his husband Dr. David Serlin, is a New York Times best-seller. Other books include illustrations for Frindle by Andrew Clements, and the Doll People trilogy by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin. Selznick is also a puppeteer, having performed in the original casts of Basil Twist’s Symphonie Fantastique and Petrushka. He recently illustrated new covers to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. He lives with his husband in San Diego, California and Brooklyn, New York.
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BIOS JULIAN CROUCH Set and Costume Designer Originally from the UK, Julian Crouch is a Brooklyn-based theatre practitioner, artist, musician, known for his groundbreaking production of Shockheaded Peter, Satyagraha at the Met Opera, and the Tony nominated set of Hedwig and The Angry Inch. A co-founder and former artistic director of Improbable, a UK-based theatre company, his shows have been seen throughout the world. He is particularly known for his incorporation of large scale, live animation within his productions. He has worked extensively at the Met Opera and on Broadway in addition to a myriad of more unusual locations. He previously designed set and costumes for Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella for the Dutch National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Crouch recently directed and designed the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary Gala, designed Hansel and Gretel for La Scala, Milan, King Arthur for the Berlin Staatsoper, and Marnie for the ENO and the Met Opera. He is currently designing Barber Of Seville for the Dutch National Opera and Ernani for La Scala, Milan. Together with Saskia Lane, he is internationally touring Birdheart—an intimate chamber piece of animated theatre, which has recently played in Taiwan, and in Brussels for the Dalai Lama. He has illustrated two books—Jedermann and Maggot Moon. NATASHA KATZ Lighting Designer Natasha Katz has a long-standing creative relationship with Christopher Wheeldon and, prior to Nutcracker, has collaborated with him on a number of ballets, including Tryst, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale all of which premiered at the Royal Ballet where he is Artistic Associate. Katz’s other collaborations with Wheeldon include Continuum (San Francisco Ballet), Carnival of the Animals (New York City Ballet), Swan Lake (Pennsylvania Ballet), Cinderella (Dutch National Ballet), The Nutcracker (The Joffrey Ballet), and the premiere of An American in Paris at the New York City Ballet, Théâtre Châtelet, and on Broadway for which she won a Tony Award.® Katz is a six-time Tony Award® winner whose Broadway credits include: Frozen, Springsteen on Broadway, Hello, Dolly! (starring Bette Midler), Long Day’s Journey into Night, School of Rock, An American in Paris, Aladdin, Skylight, The Glass Menagerie, Once, Motown, Follies, The Coast of Utopia: Salvage, Aida, and Beauty and the Beast. In London, she designed The Glass Menagerie (Duke of York’s Theatre, Olivier nomination 2017), Motown (Shaftesbury Theatre), An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre), School of Rock (New London Theatre), Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre), Once (Phoenix Theatre), Skylight (Wyndham’s Theatre), Sister Act (Palladium Theatre), Buried Child (National Theatre), and Cyrano (The Royal Opera). Katz has also designed extensively for Off-Broadway and for American regional theatres. Her permanent installations include lighting for the audio-visual shows at Niketown London and New York City, The Masquerade Village at the Rio Casino, Las Vegas and Big Bang at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. 20 | The Joffrey Ballet
BIOS
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
BASIL TWIST Puppetry and Effects Basil Twist is proud to return to The Joffrey Ballet. Previous collaborations with Christopher Wheeldon include The Winter’s Tale and Cinderella. Work previously seen in Chicago includes Twist’s Drama Desk Award-winning work in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and The Addams Family and his original creations the multi award-winning Symphonie Fantastique, as well as Petrushka and Master Peter’s Puppet Show, all at The Ravinia Festival. Twist’s wide-ranging work is revitalizing puppetry as a serious and sophisticated stand-alone art form and establishing it as an integral element in contemporary theater, dance, and music. Other Credits: on Broadway; The Pee Wee Herman Show, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Original creations include; La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco, Dogugaeshi, Hansel and Gretel, Behind The Lid, Arias with a Twist, Seafoam Sleepwalk, The Rite of Spring, and Sisters Follies. Awards include; The Rome Prize, Obie, Drama Desk, New York Innovative Theatre, Henry Hewes, UNIMA, Bessies, Guggenheim, USA Artist, Doris Duke Performing Artist and a MacArthur Fellow. He lives in New York City, where he leads The Dream Music Puppetry Program. 59 PRODUCTIONS Video and Projection Design 59 Productions is a multi-award-winning design studio and production company based in London and New York. Their current work includes Satyagraha (LA Opera). Opera designs include Marnie (Metropolitan Opera / ENO), Candide, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Santa Fe Opera), Brigadoon (New York City Center), Pearl Fishers (LA Opera), Metropolitan Opera 50th Anniversary Gala, Two Boys and The Enchanted Island (Metropolitan Opera, New York), Sukanya, Morgen und Abend and Eugene Onegin (Royal Opera), The Shining (Minnesota Opera), Satyagraha (ENO) and Al gran sole carico d’amore (Berlin State Opera and Salzburg Festival). Designs for theatre and events include Junk (Lincoln Centre Theater), An American in Paris (Broadway, London, US tour), Oslo (Lincoln Center, National Theatre, Harold Pinter Theatre), The Last Ship (Northern Stage / UK Tour), Reflections: Guggenheim Bilbao 20th Anniversary (Guggenheim Museum), A Perfect Harmony (Freer|Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution), Paul Auster’s City of Glass (Home, Manchester, Lyric Hammersmith) Wonder.land (Manchester International Festival, NT), David Bowie Is (V&A), Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Big Fish (Broadway), Bloom (Edinburgh International Festival), The Forbidden Zone (Salzburg Festival, Schaubühne Berlin), War Horse (NT and worldwide tours), Les Misérables world tour (Cameron Mackintosh) and the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
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BIOS JACQUELIN BARRETT Assistant to the Choreographer Jacquelin Barrett trained at The Royal Ballet School, joined London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and, over a period of eight years, danced soloist and principal roles in the company’s repertory. Barrett was the Ballet Mistress for Central School of Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre and English National Ballet. She is in demand as a guest teacher for many international professional companies and schools. From 1997 to 2008, Barrett taught at The Royal Ballet School, working mainly with the graduate female class. Since 2009, she has been assisting Christopher Wheeldon and staging his works around the world. She is the Associate Director on the musical An American in Paris.
SUZANNE LOPEZ Children’s Ballet Master Suzanne Lopez was asked to join The Joffrey Ballet in 1991, after a year with the Joffrey II Dancers. She retired in 2010, after a long and outstanding career with the Company. She danced principal roles in ballets by such choreographers as Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alonzo King, John Cranko, José Limón, Antony Tudor, Twyla Tharp, Lar Lubovitch, and Frederick Ashton. Some of her favorite roles to perform include the title roles in Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and Ashton’s Cinderella, as well as the Sugarplum Fairy in Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. She was also featured in world premieres by Edwaard Liang, Donald Byrd, Jessica Lang, and Margo Sappington, among others. Suzanne also had a featured role in the movie The Company, directed by Robert Altman. Lopez was thrilled to return to The Joffrey Ballet as a Ballet Master in 2016. She has also been a guest teacher, repetiteur, and coach at various schools and companies around the country.
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BIOS
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
CAITLIN MEIGHAN Children’s Ballet Master Caitlin Meighan is a Ballet Master for the 2018 Nutcracker Children’s Cast. Prior to this, she was in the National Touring Broadway Cast of Christopher Wheeldon’s An American in Paris as Lise Alternate. She performed for 10 seasons with The Joffrey Ballet. She performed soloist roles in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Interplay, Maninyas, Serenade, La Sylphide and Confetti. In her training years, she studied at The National Ballet School of Canada. Her film work includes Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance. She is honored to be back with her Joffrey family.
MICHAEL SMITH Children’s Ballet Master Michael Smith joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2001 as a Company member after being one of the first participants in the Arpino Apprentice Program. Prior to joining the Joffrey, he was a student in the dance department at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, where he studied ballet with Anna Paskevska and Graham-based modern dance with Randy Duncan. Smith has also studied dance at The Ruth Page School and The Joffrey Ballet School’s Midwest workshop. During his time with the Joffrey, Smith has enjoyed performing in various ballets including The Clowns, Les Patineurs, Les Presages, Miracle Interrupted, The Nutcracker, N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz!, Petrouchka, The Prodigal Son, Romeo and Juliet, Round of Angels, Le Sacre du Printemps, Square Dance, Suite Saint Saëns, The Taming of the Shrew, Tensile Involvement, Viva Vivaldi, and A Wedding Bouquet. Smith is currently a Program Coordinator with the Joffrey’s Community Engagement Program, as well as an independent choreographer.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 2018–2019 HONORARY CHAIRMAN | Mayor Rahm Emanuel Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Chairman of the Board Anne Kaplan First Vice Chair Lorna Ferguson Sonia Florian Vice Chairs Guy Lakonishok Treasurer Ronald J. Allen Secretary Ashley Wheater The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Greg Cameron President and CEO Shari Massey Assistant Treasurer DIRECTORS Kathleen Abbott Patty Perkins Andringa Mary Jo Basler Marc Berman Luann Blowers Roger Deromedi Pamella Roland DeVos Adam DeWitt Patti S. Eylar Shelley MacArthur Farley Jamie-Clare Flaherty Emily Follas
Patrick M. Gallagher, Jr. Mrs. Robert W. Galvin Jill Garling Dana Hokin Garvey Mark Giragosian Larry Goodman Sabrina Gracias Linda Chaplik Harris Jerrilyn M. Hoffmann Richard Holson III Greg Jenkins Myrna Kaplan Donna M. LaPietra Michael Larsen Barry Litwin James McDonough Coco Meers Jess Merten Daniel L. Morriss Susan G. Oleari Diane Patience Stephen Reiss Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Bruce Sagan Eric C. Schieber, MD Liz Sharp Courtney Shea Ross Shelleman Ildefonso Alvim de Abreu e Silva Chuck Smith Maureen Dwyer Smith Rita Spitz
Thank you to new Joffrey Board member GREG JENKINS and JEWELL EVENTS CATERING for helping us celebrate The Nutcracker this December. 24 | The Joffrey Ballet
Lauren F. Streicher, MD Ben Strobel MarrGwen Townsend Jason J. Tyler Noren Ungaretti Ronald V. Waters III Amanda Williamson Joel V. Williamson Elizabeth Yntema LIFE DIRECTORS Grace Barry Fred Eychaner Patricia H. Gerber† Pamela B. Strobel Joseph H. Wender PAST CHAIRPERSONS William M. Daley Fred Eychaner Gary E. Holdren Dr. David A. Kipper† C. Steve McMillian Bruce Sagan Maureen Dwyer Smith Pamela B. Strobel Jason J. Tyler Ronald V. Waters III As of August 22, 2018 † Deceased
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
WOMEN’S BOARD OF THE JOFFREY BALLET | 2018–2019 Noren Ungaretti President Sandi Hartstein 1st Vice President Merritt DeWitt Julianne Migely 2nd Vice Presidents Dania Leemputte Secretary Amanda Merten Treasurer Emily L. Arch, MD Jamie-Clare Flaherty Members-at-Large Elisabeth Adams Mrs. Keene Harwood Addington III Julie O’Donnell Allen Raheela Gill Anwar Annie Atzeff Melissa M. Babcock* Grace Barry* Nancy Gottlieb Bauer Heidy Best Jetta Boschen Sophie Bross Mary Kay Mudd Bushonville Jenelle M. Chalmers Joan Colmar Sandra Deromedi Ellen Distelheim Dr. Jill S. Dodds Maia J. Dunkel Christine Du Boulay Ellis Beth Engel Patti S. Eylar Shelley MacArthur Farley Emily Follas Ellie Forman Katherine E. Freiburger Beth Fulkerson
Dana Hokin Garvey Susan Geiselhart Darcy Goldfarb, MD Shana Bear Guthman Elisa D. Harris Mrs. Michael F. Harron K. Susan Heintz Kathleen Henson Martha Higgins Leslie S. Hindman Courtney A. Hoffmann Jerrilyn M. Hoffmann Dana Hokin Garvey Sherry Lea Holson Brooke Hubbuch Melinda Jakovich Lagrange Anne Kaplan Jackelyn Kastanis Elizabeth Ann Kasten Kathleen Klaeser Laura Kofoid Mrs. Frederick A. Krehbiel* Whitney Lasky Anne Lazar Anita E. Livaditis Leslie Logsdon Lisa Klimley Malkin Joan Malliband Elizabeth Marcus, MD Heather Martin Kristina McGrath Astrid A. McKinnon Helen Hall Melchior* Patricia Miller Lucy Minor Linda Curtis O’Bannon, MD Susan G. Oleari Christine Ott* Gigi Owens Mrs. John R. Pacholick Daniela Pagani
Cynthia S. Passalino Mary Ellen Pavone, MD Judith Pierpont Ibby Pinsky Victoria Poindexter D. Elizabeth Price Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt Emily Rubenstein Camille Kearns Rudy Maggie Scheyer Sarah Schrup Andréa J. Schwartz Liz Sharp Anne Shea Courtney Shea Carolyn Sheridan Veronica Siegel Amelia Silva Mrs. Howard Silverman Marilyn Slattery Maureen Dwyer Smith* Kathy Kalesperis Smith Maria Smithburg Rita Spitz Dawn Stanislaw Jessica Steffensen Liz Stiffel Carol J. Stone Nancy Sussman Cheryl Tama Oblander Lauren D.W. Tatar Marina D.W. Tatar Melissa Trandel Yolanda Tyler Andria van der Merwe Jen VanEekeren Laura Larsen Venkus Annabelle Volgman Chrissie Walker Magnes Welsh Pam Phillips Weston Kim White Diana Weiss Widman
Elizabeth Wippman Joyce M. Wippman Marcie L. Wright Leslie Zentner Julie Zuckerman SUPPORTING AND NON-RESIDENT Dora Aalbregtse Laura Ferris Anderson Melissa Anton Mary Jo Basler Mrs. John E. Burke Kelly Dettmann Pamella Roland DeVos Deborah Gordon Engle Lydia Fisher Katherine Fox Astra Gamsjaeger Sue-Gray Goller Stephanie M. Grinage Marjorie E. Habermann Sharon King Hoge Marci Holzer Candace Collins Jordan Donna M. LaPietra Anne Simon Moffat Brooks Morgan Mrs. Jay L. Owen, Jr. Kathleen A. Swien Kathryn Vail Victoria Verity Ann Waters Carol A. Walter Mrs. Thomas E. Wells IV
As of November 1, 2018 *Honorary Life Member
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SUPPORTERS
The Joffrey Ballet would like to extend thanks to those who provide us with funding that ensures quality and engaging experiences for a variety of audiences. The following is a list of those who made contributions in the amount of $300 or more between October 1, 2017 and October 31, 2018. Although space does not permit us to list all of our friends, we are grateful for the support from each and every one of our loyal donors. $500,000+ Alphawood Foundation Chicago Clear Channel Airports Estate of Dennis D. Kendzora Fred Eychaner Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation Trust Margot and Josef Lakonishok $100,000–$499,999 Abbott Fund Chicago Athletic Clubs Sandy and Roger Deromedi Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation Sonia Florian Illinois Arts Council Agency Anne L. Kaplan Nancy and Sanfred Koltun The Reva and David Logan Foundation The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust NIB Foundation Rose L. Shure Trust The Satter Foundation Denise Littlefield Sobel Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Tatar The Hearst Foundations The Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson $50,000–$99,9999 Allstate Insurance Company Athletico Physical Therapy Mary Jo and Doug Basler BMO Wealth Management Exelon Patti S. Eylar and Charles R. Gardner The Julius N. Frankel Foundation ITW Jewell Events Catering JHL Capital Group LLC JW Marriott The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Lucy Minor 26 | The Joffrey Ballet
Jane Ellen Murray Foundation Susan and Nicholas Noyes whose gift was made in honor of Clara Rideout Noyes and her enduring love of ballet Mr. and Mrs. John Patience The Poetry Foundation Polk Bros Foundation Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill Sage Foundation The Shubert Foundation Bill and Orli Staley Pamela and Russ Strobel Ventana Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Waters III $25,000–$49,999 Anonymous Abbott Laboratories The Bill Bass Foundation Marc and Sharen Berman The Brinson Foundation Capital Group Companies, Inc. Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation The Crown Family Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Adam DeWitt Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark Mr. and Mrs. F. Conrad Fischer Fox Ford Lincoln Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Jill Garling and Thomas Wilson Ethel and William Gofen Sabrina and Antonio Gracias Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company Myrna Kaplan Dennis and Kathleen Klaeser Julie and Guy Lakonishok Margaret MacLean Macy’s Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. Martha Melman and Rich Melman Alexandra Nichols and John Nichols Virginia Owens and James Owens Prince Charitable Trusts John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Eric C. Schieber, MD The Siragusa Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Smith, Jr. Melissa and Chuck Smith Rita Spitz and David Blears Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Townsend Mr. and Mrs. Miles D. White $10,000–$24,999 Anonymous (2) Nancy Gottlieb Bauer Edward Beam
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Beidler III Luann Blowers and David Blowers Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock Butler Family Foundation Greg Cameron and Greg Thompson Audre Carlin Paul Chasnoff and Joe Hopper The Chicago Community Trust Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Lawrence Corry DeSantis Foundation Dunham Fund Dan J. Epstein Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William Farley Fifth Third Bank Fresenius Kabi Michelle Goodman and Larry J. Goodman, MD Sherry and Michael Guthrie Joan Hall Harris Family Foundation Sandi and Barry Hartstein Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Mr. and Mrs. David H. Hoffmann Sherry Lea and Richard Holson III Jenner & Block LLP Estate of Stuart Kane Kovler Family Foundation Kryolan Professional Make-Up The Lane Trust: Dr. Lynda Lane, Adele Lane and Ben Lane-Korn Michael and Jennifer Larsen Latham & Watkins LLP Elizabeth Liebman Julie Litfin and Matthew Litfin Mayer Brown LLP Karen McEniry and Roger McEniry Lynne McNown Coco B. Meers and Ethan Meers National Endowment for the Arts Negaunee Foundation Ken Norgan The Northern Trust Company Nuveen Investments, Inc. The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation Palmer House Hilton Michael Payette Stephen Reiss and Rena Hozore Reiss Camille Kearns Rudy and Robert M. Rudy Cari and Michael Sacks Dr. Scholl Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Sharp Shea Family Foundation Ms. Courtney C. Shea Carolyn and Michael Sheridan
SUPPORTERS
$10,000–$24,999 (continued) Melissa de Abreu e Silva and Ildefonso Silva Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Maria Smithburg and William D. Smithburg Liz Stiffel Pamela and Russ Strobel Hadas Teuscher and Philip Teuscher The Chicago Community Foundation The Mazza Foundation Andrew Thorrens and Donald Mizerk Townsend Family Foundation Lorraine Trachtenberg Mr. and Mrs. Jason J. Tyler U.S. Bank Foundation Richard and Diane Weinberg William Blair Amanda Williamson and Matthew Johnson $5,000–$9,999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Allen Dr. Emily L. Arch and Mr. Justin Arch Athene Annie Atzeff and Kristopher Atzeff Mary Kay Mudd Bushonville and Art Bushonville CA Ventures Suzanne Cameron and Stephen Cameron Lisa and Jim Challenger Mrs. Joyce Chelberg CIBC Citibank Geoffrey Davis Laura Duggan and Jim Duggan Emily Follas and Timothy Jacob Dana Hokin Garvey and Robert Garvey Greg Goldner Mary L. Gray John R. Halligan Charitable Fund The Irving Harris Foundation Elisa Harris and Ivo Daalder Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Lannan Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Linda Levie and Glenn Levie Susan Lichtenstein and John Rokacz David and Suzu Neithercut Nordstrom, Inc. Susan G. Oleari Catherine Perez and William Perez Kathleen Pipala and Michael Pipala D. Elizabeth Price and Lou Yecies Carol and Robert Rasmus
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Susan and David Ruder Mr. and Mrs. David Sensibar Sidley Austin, LLP Ms. Kathy Kalesperis Smith and Mr. Dion Grimes Smith Jeanette Stevens Nathan Tannenbaum Foundation Inc. W.E. O’Neil Construction Dia Weil and Edward Weil Hilary and Barry Weinstein Pamela Phillips Weston and Roger L. Weston Bryony and David Winn Elizabeth Yntema and Mark Ferguson for the Ferguson-Yntema Family Trust $2,500–$4,999 Anonymous Dora Aalbregtse and R. John Aalbregtse Mr. and Mrs. William Adams IV Evelyn Alter Emily Strobel Amiet and Michael Amiet Carey August and Brett August Christine Bakalar and John Bakalar Meta S. and Ronald Berger Family Foundation Ms. Carolyn A. Blessing John Brazzale Mr. Jimmie R. Alford and Ms. Maree G. Bullock Jenelle Chalmers and Stephen Chalmers James Dolenc and Tom Riker Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly Maia J. Dunkel Christine Du Boulay Ellis Jamie-Clare Flaherty Arthur Frank Franklin Philanthropic Foundation Christine Gallagher and Greg Gallagher Stephanie Grinage and Richard Grinage Shana Guthman and David Guthman Julie F. Harron and Michael F. Harron Stacie R. Hartman K. Susan Heintz and Thomas Heintz Mr. and Mrs. John T. Hildy Courtney A. Hoffmann and Sebastian Hoffmann Lauren Huefner Illinois Bone & Joint Institute Intralink Global
Melinda Jakovich-Lagrange and Lucien Lagrange Jeffrey Kerr Avril Klaff and Hersch Klaff Laura Kofoid and David Ricci Dr. Jennifer Kurth and Mr. Brian Van Klompenberg Dania Leemputte and Patrick Leemputte Mr. and Mrs. Barry Litwin Leslie Logsdon and Duncan Bourne Colleen Loughlin and John Sirek Lyric Opera of Chicago Lisa Klimley Malkin and Cary J. Malkin Elizabeth Marcus, MD and Ira Belcove James D. McDonough Kevin McGirr John R. Menninger Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. Pamela G. Meyer Mrs. Julianne Migely Patricia Miller and Christopher Miller Barbara and Jonathan Moss Ashley Netzky and Pamela Netzky Thomas O’Keefe Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pacholick Daniela Pagani Victoria Poindexter and Joseph P. Gaynor III Carol Pollock Donald H. Ratner and Bruce A. Gober RSM LLP Barbara and Donald Ruhman The Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Foundation Ms. Maggie Scheyer and Mr. Eric J. Scheyer Terry Schwartz Veronica Siegel Thomas G. Sinkovic Shari Slavin and Mark Slavin The Stebbins Fund, Inc. Mary Summers and William Summers Nancy Sussman Bhaskaran Swaminathan Cheryl Tama Oblander and Scott Oblander The Neiman Marcus Group Melissa Trandel Richard and Noren Ungaretti Andria van der Merwe Leslie J. Warner and Stephen B. Warner Michelle Wasson and Joel Farran Magnes Welsh Diana and Stuart Widman Elizabeth Wippman and Tom Wippman Wrigley, A Subsidiary of Mars, Inc. The Joffrey Ballet | 27
SUPPORTERS
$1,500–$2,499 Alice and Herb Zarov Lisa Zenk and Jason Zenk Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Zentner Helen Zimmermann and John Zimmermann Anonymous (4) Kathleen Abbott and Jeff Abbott Ada Addington and Whitney Addington Greg Albiero and Mark Zampardo Allegro Dance Boutique Ero Amiridis and Michael Amiridis Mina Amir-Mokri Patty Perkins Andringa Melissa Anton and John Anton Christopher Begy Jennifer Birmingham Ms. Evelyn Bosenberg Anthony Bruck Carolyn Bucksbaum Tamara and Robert Buday Chartise Clark Katie Cochran Elliott Crigger Pamela Crutchfield Dr. John Dainauskas Amina Dickerson and Julian Roberts C.J. Dillon and Steve Clements Mr. and Mrs. Terence Donnelly Deborah and Cody Engle Dr. and Mrs. Anthony G. Finder Christine Fisher Lois Farrell Fisher Mimi Frankel and Bud Frankel Beth Fulkerson and Joshua Kellman Abby Funk and Donald Funk Jennifer Gallagher and Patrick Gallagher Susan Geiselhart and David Geiselhart Alexis Polito Giragosian and Mark Giragosian Darcy Goldfarb, MD Sue-Gray Goller Ann Gootee and James Gootee Marc and Carol Gordon Barbara Greis and Howard Gottlieb Anthony and Susan Grosch Dr. and Mrs. Alan G. Harris Leslie Hindman Sarai Hoffman and Stephen Pratt Julie Holland Alan J. Hommerding and Robert K. Personett Kathleen Ihrig and Glenn Ihrig Maryl R. Johnson, MD Mary Kamraczewski and Kevin Kamraczewski Sherry Kaplan and Barry Kaplan 28 | The Joffrey Ballet
Masahiro Kasai and William Myers Jackelyn Kastanis and Taki Kastanis Marilyn Katz and Scott Chambers Wendy Kilcollin and T. Eric Kilcollin Roberta Killeen and Timothy Killeen Polly Kintzel Ann Klimek and Adam Klimek Karyn Kruschka and Edward Kruschka Erica Kuhlmann Sarah Ladgenski and Derek Ladgenski Ms. Whitney Lasky and Mr. Jerry Lasky Robin and Jack Lavin Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Lawson III Deej and Hunter Leggitt Lew and Laurie Leibowitz Sherren Leigh Kathryn Leister and Douglas Leister Dr. Richard E. Leithiser Ms. Dana Levinson and Mrs. Barbara Levinson Mia Levy and Paul Levy Susan Lucas and Stuart Lucas Holly and Matt Maloney Dr. Stephanie Marshall Matt McCartt Mr. and Mrs. Michael McGrath Metro Anesthesia Consultants Llc Sally Metzler Lois and Robert Moeller Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Jazelle Morriss and Daniel L. (DL) Morriss Morrell Neely Courtney Nelson Janis Notz and John Notz Linda Curtis O’Bannon, MD Lee and Sharon Oberlander Mary Jane O’Connor Katherine Patch and Jason Patch Mary Ellen Pavone, MD and Christopher Novak Marian Pearcy and Peter Jones Bonnie Price and Jack Hirsch Carol Prins and John Hart Christine Provost and David Provost Jennifer Ross Anthony Rufo Sahara Enterprises, Inc. Sue Samuels Judith Sawyier and Michael Sawyier Patricia Schmalzl and William Schmalzl Sarah Schrup Andréa J. Schwartz and Dr. Steve Stryker Lois Scott and David May Anne Shonk Stephanie Sick and William Sick Louis and Nellie Sieg Fund Craig Sirles
Marilyn Slattery Beth Smetana and Gerard Smetana Brian Smith and Geyer Morford Patricia Smith Dawn Stanislaw Shirley Stanley and Paul Stanley Penelope Steiner and Robert Steiner Patricia Sternberg Carol Stone and David Stone Joanne Storm Dr. Lauren Streicher and Mr. Jason Brett Tawani Foundation Courtney Thompson Dana Shepard Treister and Dr. Michael Roy Treister Judy Van Arsdale Robert and Etti Van Etten Christina Walker and Joe Walker Debbie Wang and David Hoyt Sherry Weiss and Albert Weiss Olga Weiss and George Honig Mr. William Ziemann $1,000–$1,499 Rochelle Abramson and Elliott Abramson Margery Al-Chalabi Amsted Industries Michael Andrews and Ryan Ruskin Lynn Arensman and Robert Arensman Neda Ashourian Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Babcock, Sr. Sandra Bass Shan Bhati Judy Block Robyn Bowland Bradbury Family Mrs. Walter F. Brissenden Anne Brody and Michael Brody Judy Bross and John Bross Sophia Bross Burke-Brunger Fund Marion Cameron The Carmi Family Charitable Fund Kathleen Carpenter and John Gould Juliana Chyu and David Whitney Mrs. John C. Colman Earle Cromer Julia and Matt Doherty Michelle Erb Katherine and Richard Freiburger Cidney Golman and Jeffrey Golman Betty Harris and Edward Harris Patricia and O.J. Heestand Marci and Ronald Holzer Janet Jentes and William Jentes Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
SUPPORTERS
$1,000–$1,499 (continued) Patricia Koldyke and Martin Koldyke Laura Larsen Venkus and David Venkus Jay Leibovitz Lori Litwin and Mark Litwin Jessica Lundevall and Torjus Lundevall Joan Malliband and David Malliband Melinda J. Inc. Metzner Family Foundation Alice Moss Marisa Murillo Phoebe Nixon and Jamin Nixon Old Second Bank Marjory Oliker Christopher Olson and Charlene Huang Olson Mr. Jonathan F. Orser Mr. and Mrs. James W. Pierpont Sheila Pizer and Howard Pizer Madeleine Plonsker and Harvey Plonsker Richard and Charlene Posner Rosa Prado and Jose Luis Prado Boyd Rice James Rocks Jane Nicholl Sahlins Marcey Siegel and Kenneth Siegel Amelia Silva and Alejandro Silva Lynda Silverman and Howard Silverman Julia Simpson Mr. and Mrs. Neele E. Stearns, Jr. Judie Stein Rebecca Stimson Nunn Peggy Swartchild and James Swartchild Carol Trapp and James Trapp Susan and Bob Underwood Jennifer VanEekeren Mr. and Mrs. Todd Vieregg Annabelle Volgman and Keith Volgman Joyce M. Wippman Regina Witkowski and Kenneth Witkowski Marcie Wright Julie Zuckerman and Daniel Zuckerman $750–$999 Anonymous Fillomena Albee Heiji Choy Black and Brian Black CDCT Land Company LLC Chapman and Cutler LLP Allison Clark Gary Drescher Beth Engel and James Fuentes Regina Murphy and Mark Etzel
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
Lewis Flint Ms. Loren Friend and Mr. Howard Friend Amy and Michael Gordon Marjorie Habermann Don and Ky Hilliker Elaine Jaharis and Steven Jaharis Sandra Mangurian Robert Marks Kary McIlwan and John McIlwan Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt and Thomas Rehwaldt Emily Rubenstein and Angel Rivera Illeane Schwartz and Sheldon Schwartz Betty Seid and Richard Seid Karen and Richard Weiland $500–$749 Anonymous (3) Sara Albrecht Cleopatra Alexander and James Alexander Mr. and Mrs. James M. Amend Penny Barr Rachel Bartunek and Jeremy Bartunek Susan Belgrad and Donald Belgrad Alana Berish Thomas Berry Heidy and Phil Best Margaret Block and Philip Block Aldridge Bousfield John Bramsen and Norma Bramsen Beth Sprecher Brooks Jackie Bryant and Timothy Bryant Mary Kay Burke Susan Canmann and Michael Canmann Isabel Wong and Charles Capwell Sarah Chadwick and Thomas Chadwick Susan Civgin and Dogan Civgin Jane Clifford Colburn School Enid Collins and Donald Collins Doris Cook and Robert Cook Mrs. Erin C. Court and Mr. Stephen Court Arlene Coustan and Harvey Coustan Sheryl Desanto and Ronald Desanto David and Annette Dezelan Sidney Dillard Rebecca Eby Michelle Ervin Nancy Evans and Jack Evans Marilyn Fields and Larry Fields Mary Ford Forefront Erica Fornari Patricia Gentry
Joyce Gerstein and Allen Gerstein Jack and Robin Graham Gaby Griffin and Hollis Griffin Madeleine Grynsztejn and Thomas Shapiro Joel Guillory Donna Gustafsson and Anders Gustafsson Tonja Hall and Max Hall Andrew and Tracie Harris Kathleen and Mark Hechinger Kathleen Henson Geoffrey and Adrianna Hewings D & J Hirschmann Family Foundation Kathryn Hodges and Sewell Hodges Rose Houston Charitable Foundation Rose Houston Caroline Huebner and Charles Huebner Sharman Thorton Hunter and Curt Hunter James Hutchinson Kristen Jacobs and Joshua Jacobs Nancy Jacobs Eric Jacobson Gayle Jensen Candice Johnson Cher Keck and Sean Keck Shannon Kennedy James Van Kollenburg Susan Koltun and Thomas Koltun Roger Kramer David Kundert John Kurtz and Gerry Salvacion James Clark and Christina Labate Tammy Laidlaw and Mike Laidlaw JC Lapiere Ms. Donna M. LaPietra and Mr. William Kurtis Michael Leppen Anne Lerner and Alan Lerner Krista Linn Molly Luthman and Stephen Luthman Lauren Mack Kathleen Madden and Joseph Madden Jeanne Martinez and John Segreti Laura Martinez and Andrew Martinez Michael and Linda Mason Mr. and Mrs. John C. McCarter Scott McCausland Elizabeth McCostlin and Adam McCostlin Martha Metz Lisa Mezzetti Megan Mistarz Lori Montana and James Montana Kate Morrison and William Morrison Al Moschner The Joffrey Ballet | 29
SUPPORTERS
$500–$749 (continued) Barbara Moser and David Moser Carol Mullins and Steve Mullins Michael and Adele Murphy Maggie and Michael Murzanski John Nelson Sharon Olson and Fred Fleischbein Mr. and Mrs. Jay L. Owen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Papuga Lynn Pearl and Melvin Pearl Marilyn Pearson Leland Hutchinson and Jean Perkins Julie Pryor and A. Keith Housman Marcella Raia and Andrew Raia William Richards Christine Riker and Walter Riker Janice Rodgers Janet Rohner Mr. and Mrs. Morton I. Rosen Barbara Ruben Elva Rubio and Scott Timcoe Stefanie Ryan and Brennan Ryan Linda Scheuplein April Schink and James Schink Dianne Schneider and William Schneider Schultz Family Private Foundation Victoria Severson Mary Shea and Charles Shea Timothy C. Sherck Cynthia Shewan James Sison Janet Smith and Mel Smith G. Bradley Sterrenberg Judith Stockdale and Jonathon Boyer Carole Stone Mr. and Mrs. Harvey J. Struthers, Jr. Jill Svoboda and John Svoboda Dr. Mark Majkowski and Ms. Kathleen Swien Irene Tang Monica Toth and Terence Toth Tamara Trittschuh James Van Metre Lynne Walton Jennifer Wanat Susan L. Welsh John Wheeler Chad Williams Margaret Wolff Margaret Young and Robert Young $300–$499 Anonymous (3) Melissa Ackerman Kristine Anderson and Tom Coonan Janet Anixter Anna Assenmacher Susan Baird and Stephen Baird 30 | The Joffrey Ballet
Todd Baisch Natali Balog Barbara Baran and John Baran Patricia Barretto Donna Gerber and Steven Bashwiner Andrea H. Bauer Tricia Belletire and James Belletire Leigh Bienen and Henry Bienen Big Cat Foundation Jane Bilger and Andrew Philipsborn Lois and Stanley Birer Jacqueline Birkel Jared Bottorff Patrick Bova and James Darby Sandra and Jim Boves Giovanna Breu and Joe Breu Lauren Bucher Ron Chadha Jane Chapman and John Chapman Sam Ciochon Melissa Clark Tom and Bette Cogan Josephine Conlon and Jerome Conlon Raymond Coronado Richard Covello April Daly Janet Dauparas Cory Daverman Robert Delaney Patty Delony Kelly Dettmann and Brian Dettmann Melinda Dickler and Michael Dickler Paul Dix Keith Donaldson David Dranove Maria Dubycky and Roman Dubycky Sandra Dumalski and Raymond Dumalski Frank and Faith Dusek Joan and Warren Eagle Thelma Evans Adrienne and Robert Z. Feldstein Lydia Fisher Archie Fletcher Ellie Forman and Jeremy Forman Jenny Freidheim Mr. and Mrs. Jay R. Fried Mark Gerber and Connie Gerber Susan Goldman and James Pellegrino Alanna Gordon and Robert Gordon Lynn Grogan Teresa Grosch and Thomas Roberts Lori and Rose Mireles-Hannigan Joyce Hasmonek Marsie R. Hass and Scott D. Hite Ann Heide Richard Higginbotham Giovanna Imbarrato and Mario Imbarrato
Ira and Janina Marks Charitable Trust II Ellen Israel and Rich Israel J. McLaughlin Sarah and Michael Jacobs Stephanie Janulis Jason Kalajainen Sandiya Killion and Andrew Killion David Kimball Mary Kimble Sheila Kirscher and John Kirscher Agnieszka Klus Scott and Julie Krueger Carol Kyros-Walker Diane Landgren Mark Larsen Jacqueline Lentz Dr. and Mrs. Andrew O. Lewicky Sarah Lombardi Molly Lowe Kay Mabie and James Mabie Jessie and Douglas MacDonald Nancy Mattorano Natalie Matwijiszyn Thomas McCaffer Sharon Meltzer and Herbert Meltzer Renee Menegaz-Bock and R.D. Bock Sanford Moltz Mr. and Mrs. C. Barry Montgomery Beverly Mook and Wallace Mook Dr. and Mrs. David D. Morimoto Gary Morton Marci Moses and Michael Moses Pixie Newman Joanne O’Brien Christine Ott Lara Pappas Joseph Paszczyk Craig Peterson John Pfeiffer Karen Pierce Mary Pierson Laura Piwinski Susan Poser Frances Renk Drs. Thomas & Cynthia Roberts Tracy Roemer Linda Rosenson and Harold Rosenson Jennifer Rubin Fabian Floyd Rueger Katherine Ryan and Robert Ryan Carol Ann Saikhon Elena Samokhina and Peter Kuo Martha Sanfilippo Judy A. Saslow Gallery David Schmitz Lewis and Barbara Schneider Gerald Schultz Robert Scott Carolyn Selke
SUPPORTERS
$300–$499 (continued) Mona Shabelman and Harold Shabelman Ravi Shah Anne Shea and John Shea Nicole and Luke Shepard Elisa Shlofrock-Zusman Sarah Shu Carol Sladek Sarah Slaughter Drs. April and Frank Smith Kathryn Stallcup and Thomas Mustoe Holly Stevens and Randy Stevens Joani Tarsitano Sarah Torri Theodore Utchen Marlene Van Skike Arlene Wagner and Albert Wagner John Walcher Cliff Wallach Annie Wallis and Tom Whitehead Donna Weaver and Daniel Weaver I.B. Weil and Thomas Weil Barbara H. West Thea Whyte Patrice Wooldridge and Patrick Wooldridge Michael Worley Russ Zajtchuk and Joan Zajtchuk William Zeiler THE JOFFREY BALLET STAR SOCIETY The Joffrey Ballet Star Society recognizes those individuals who have invested in the future of The Joffrey Ballet through a planned gift. We wish to thank the following for their commitment to our legacy. Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Babcock, Sr. D. Jeffrey and Joan H. Blumenthal Mr. Paul Chasnoff and Mr. Joe Hopper Christine Du Boulay Ellis Deborah and Cody Engle Patti S. Eylar and Charles R. Gardner Mr. Michael Goldberger Sue-Gray Goller Barbara Henigbaum Marci and Ronald Holzer Ms. Darlene Johnson Myrna Kaplan Ms. Linda Levey Mr. John McAllister Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Drs. Bill and Elaine Moor Ms. Jane Ellen Murray and Mr. Edwin Wentz
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
Mr. Jonathan F. Orser D. Elizabeth Price Mr. Doug Schmidt Constance and Orin Steinhaus Elisabeth Wilcox Szegho Diana and Stuart Widman Andrea and Rich Winship Mrs. Anna Mary Zarrelli
Kathy Smith Jane Strauss Gayle Tama Courtney Tan Marina Tatar Noren Ungaretti Ashley Wheater Diana Widman
TRIBUTE GIFTS The following tribute gifts were made between November 7, 2017 and November 7, 2018.
In Memory Of Suhail Al-Chalabi Robert Albee Mahvash Amir-Mokri Joan Armstrong Rosemarie Bellandi Frances Hunt Chapman Irving Distelheim Roberta Dominiak Eric B. Eatherly Howard Goldstein John Henigbaum Burton Kaplan Cynthia Diane Kelly Henry Levey Paul Lutter Kathryn McGirr Mr. Norris James McNerney Jason T. McVicker Marita M. Mootz Dianne M. Nishimura Charlotte G. Schwartz and Edward H. Schwartz Walter Tama Ruth Urbanski Don C. Waggoner Karin Elizabeth Wagner Carey Rose Winski
In Honor Of Julie Allen Amanda Assucena Melissa Babcock Mary Jo and Doug Basler Nic Blanc Adam Blyde Clare Brody Mary Kay Mudd Bushonville Greg Cameron Gerard Charles Sara Cunningham Ellen Distelheim Julia Doherty Erica Edwards Christine Du Boulay Ellis Deborah Engle Patti Eylar Shelley MacArthur Farley Lorna Ferguson Jill Garling Sue Gray Goller Sandi Hartstein and Barry Hartstein Sarai Hoffman Jerri Hoffmann Bridget Holmes Brian Johnson Laura and Russ Karlin Jackie Kastanis Sandy and Nancy Koltun Cindy Kronman Suzanne Lopez James McDonough George and Kathryn McNulty Anne and Keith Moffat Susan Oleari Karine Provost Hallie Rehwaldt Chelsea Robinson Maya Rubens Bruce Sagan Elizabeth Salmonowicz Liz Sharp Courtney Shea Mrs. Gerd Sjogren Maria Smithburg
GENERATION J LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Carolyn A Blessing Michael Amiet Rachel Bartunek Lauren Huefner Jacqueline Lentz Sarah Lombardi Nichole Mann Kerber Natalie Matwijiszyn Sarah Shu Emily Strobel Amiet John Walcher (Chair Emeritus)
The Joffrey Ballet | 31
DON’T MISS THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF THIS NEW FAMILY CLASSIC!
Whipped Cream APRIL 11–14, 2019
“Visually enchanting” — The Wall Street Journal
AuditoriumTheatre.org :: 312.341.2300 THE THEATRE FOR THE PEOPLE
50 E Ida B Wells Dr | Chicago, IL
2018–19 SEASON SPONSORS
JOYCE CHELBERG Live Music Sponsor
HELEN HALL MELCHIOR Performance Sponsors
ABT’s Betsy McBride in Whipped Cream, photo by Ruven Afanador.
International Dance Sponsor
Student Matinee Sponsors
ADMIT ONE Funder
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
The Honorable Rahm Emanuel Mayor of Chicago Honorary Chairman, Board of Directors
Denise Cosman Senior Director of Accounting
John Svoboda Chairman, Board of Directors Norman R. Bobins Vice Chair, Development Lew Collens Vice Chair, Strategic Planning Bruce Crown | Treasurer Thomas R. Baryl | Secretary Amanda Brimmer Tania Castroverde Moskalenko Joan Colmar Andrew Harris Robert Held Mel Katten | Chair Emeritus John R. Kaufman Phil Lumpkin Ali Malekzadeh Rudy Marcozzi Suzanne Martin Matt McNicholas Helen Hall Melchior Ann Nash Danny Nikitas Maria L. Pasquinelli Stephanie Pirishis Denise Littlefield Sobel Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS Edward S. Weil, Jr. Robert L. Wieseneck EMERITUS DIRECTORS
Sondra Berman Epstein David D. Hiller Seymour Taxman EXECUTIVE STAFF
Rachel Freund Interim Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Financial Officer C.J. Dillon Chief Programming Officer Colleen Flanigan Chief Marketing Officer Judie Moore Green Chief Development Officer Nick Tigue Chief Operating Officer
Cynthia Darling Director of Accounting Kathy Bliss Assistant to CEO/Board Liaison DEVELOPMENT
Kathryn TeBordo Associate Director of Institutional Giving Kelly Saroff Allen Associate Director of Individual Giving Raechel Hofsteadter Associate Director of Development Operations Ben Ross Development Intern MARKETING AND SALES
Nicole Wetzell Director of Sales Lily Oberman Associate Director of Communications
Denise Santomauro Admit One Coordinator PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
Stephen Sell Director of Production & Facilities Noé Villagómez, Jr. Director of Guest Experience Mary Mazza Box Office Treasurer Scott Zissman Assistant Box Office Treasurer Annie Slaughter Patron Services Coordinator Kam Hobbs Production Manager Josh Light Event Manager Sharon Butler Patron Services Carl Ward Assistant House Manager Steven Olvera Food & Beverage Manager
Lisa Klier Associate Director of Marketing
Timoteo Pablo Custodial Manager
Luke Bandoske Digital Content Manager
Hugo Soula Arts Administration Intern
Christopher Dorsey Ticketing Services Manager
Tim Steimle Carpenter
Chloe Bigelow Madison Jones Julian Otis Sarah Seo Ticket Services Representatives
Robert Patterson Properties
Allison Bennett Marketing Intern PROGRAMMING AND CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
Beth Kaskel Director of Programming Administration Tiffany Brown Director of Education & Creative Engagement Sarah Illiatovitch-Goldman Creative Engagement Associate
Pat Donahue, Jr. Electrician Brad Friebolin Audio Engineer Bill Karcz Flyman Dale Kuypers Volunteer Usher Coordinator Frank Romeo Custodial Foreman Emeritus Marie A. Cali Theatre Manager Emeritus Bart Swindall Historian
The Joffrey Ballet | 33
ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE DESIGNED BY LOUIS SULLIVAN AND DANKMAR ADLER at the behest of Chicago businessman Ferdinand Wythe Peck, the Auditorium Theatre was hailed as one of the most beautiful venues in the world when it opened on December 9, 1889. Peck charged the architects with creating a Theatre for the People that was open to all Chicagoans. When the theatre opened, Chicago was in fierce competition with many cities in a bid to host the 1893 World’s Fair. Many notable figures of the day, including President Benjamin Harrison, attended the opening night performance at the theatre and were impressed by its perfect acoustics, beautiful architecture, and incredible sightlines. The attention that the theatre attracted helped convince the U.S. Congress that Chicago was ready to host such an event as important as the World’s Fair. During its early decades, the Auditorium hosted leading entertainers like John Philip Sousa and the Ziegfeld Follies, and political figures including Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington. It was the home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the opera, and even hosted indoor baseball games. During World War II, the theatre became a Servicemen’s Center (complete with a bowling alley!) for traveling soldiers. After the war, the theatre closed until 1967, when it reopened with a performance by New York City Ballet. Throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, many famous performers took to the stage, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Prince, among many others. Since its opening, the theatre has hosted some of the world’s premier dance companies, including The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Bolshoi Ballet. Starting in the 80s through today, the theatre presents many Broadway musicals including The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. In 2015 and 2016, the theatre hosted the televised NFL Draft, giving over 7 million home viewers the opportunity to see inside the beautiful theatre. Today, the staff and board of the Auditorium Theatre continue to preserve and restore the National Historic Landmark. More than a quarter of a million people visit the theatre each year to experience music shows, slam poetry competitions, dance performances, and beyond, making the Auditorium Theatre a true staple in Chicago and the rest of the world. 34 | The Joffrey Ballet
Top: Auditorium Theatre, photo by Arturo Gonzalez. Bottom: Historic photo of the Auditorium Theatre, photo by Richard Nickel.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
2018–19 STORY BALLET SERIES Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Featuring Lazarus MARCH 6–10, 2019
The Midwest premiere of the company’s first ever two-act ballet, created by acclaimed hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris and inspired by Alvin Ailey’s life.
American Ballet Theatre — Whipped Cream APRIL 11–14, 2019
American Ballet Theatre Whipped Cream
The Midwest premiere of the new whimsical ballet that The New York Times calls “a candyland triumph.”
DANCE
Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg The Pygmalion Effect MAY 17–19, 2019
@ THE AUD
This North American premiere follows a passionate dancer who crafts a young woman into a brilliant dancer.
Subscribe today to witness the vibrant narratives these companies have to share… after all, who doesn’t love a good story? Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg The Pygmalion Effect
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE 25%! AuditoriumTheatre.org 312.341.2300
50 E Ida B Wells Dr | Chicago, IL 2018–19 SEASON SPONSORS
International Dance Sponsor
Student Matinee Sponsors
ADMIT ONE Funder
Official Hotel Partner
Official Magazine Sponsor
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Rennie Harris’ Lazarus, photo by Paul Kolnik. | American Ballet Theatre in Whipped Cream, photo by Gene Schiavone. | Eifman Ballet in The Pygmalion Effect, photo by Evgeny Matveev. | Auditorium Theatre, photo by Arturo Gonzalez.
THE OFFICIAL ORCHESTRA OF THE JOFFREY BALLET THE NUTCRACKER
VIOLA Sally Chisholm Principal
SCOTT SPECK Artistic Director
Daniel Golden Claudia LasareffMironoff Benton Wedge
JAMES BERKENSTOCK Artistic Advisor THOMAS MANNING Board Chairman DONNA MILANOVICH Executive Director VIOLIN David Perry Concertmaster (12/1–12/23) Robert Hanford Concertmaster (12/24–12/30) Rika Seko Principal Second Violin Stephen Boe Jennifer Cappelli Injoo Choi Daniela Folker Renée-Paule Gauthier* Sheila Hanford Carmen Kassinger Florentina Ramniceanu* Paul Vandewerf
CELLO Matthew Agnew Principal Margaret Daly* Larry Glazier* BASS Timothy Shaffer Principal John Floeter FLUTE Janice McDonald Principal Jennifer Clippert Karin Ursin PICCOLO Karin Ursin OBOE Anne Bach Principal
ENGLISH HORN Erica Anderson CLARINET Sergey Gutorov* Principal Gene Collerd* BASS CLARINET Gene Collerd BASSOON John Gaudette Principal Matthew Hogan
TIMPANI Robert Everson Principal PERCUSSION Michael Folker Principal Joel Cohen HARP Benjamin Melsky Principal CELESTA Grace Rose Kim Kuang-Hao, Huang
HORN Gregory Flint Principal
Music Librarian Danielle Ray
Melanie Cottle
Personnel Manager Terrell Pierce
TRUMPET David Inmon Principal Jordan Olive TROMBONE Reed Capshaw Principal BASS TROMBONE Christopher Davis
Erica Anderson
For more information about Chicago Philharmonic’s 29th Anniversary Season please visit us online at: chicagophilharmonic.org
36 | The Joffrey Ballet
*CPO musicians playing on stage.
PREFERRED PROVIDERS | 2018–2019
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
OFFICIAL PHYSICAL MEDICINE
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
AND ORTHOPEDIC PROVIDER
Agency H5 | Allied Live Chirp Design, Inc. | The Silverman Group
Dr. Leda Ghannad | Dr. Michael Hanak Dr. Simon Lee
LEGAL COUNSEL
OFFICIAL PROVIDER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
Alyssa Hartley | Jennifer Janowski Catherine Mercurio | Kim Schumacher Alex Timm | Kathleen Warner | Rachel Wise OFFICIAL HEALTH CLUB
Dentons | Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. Marilyn A. Pearson | McDermott Will & Emery LLP Robert L. Mink | Sidley Austin LLP Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP COSMETIC |
Kryolan Professional Make-Up
PHOTOGRAPHY |
Cheryl Mann Photography Todd Rosenberg Photography VIDEOGRAPHY |
Big Foot Media
PREFERRED HOTEL PROUD MEMBER
The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the continued support of the DANIEL AND PAMELLA DEVOS FOUNDATION. CHEERS TO FOUR YEARS AS A SEASON SPONSOR!
The Joffrey Ballet in The Nutcracker. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
The Joffrey Ballet | 37
ADMINISTRATION
ASHLEY WHEATER The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director
ARTISTIC
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Nicolas Blanc Adam Blyde Suzanne Lopez Ballet Masters Principal Coaches
Erica Lynette Edwards Director of Community Engagement
ACADEMY
Julianna Jarik Community Engagement Manager
Karine Provost Academy Director Stephanie Archambeau Student Services Administrator Keesha Beckford Youth Division Liaison Allie Deaver-Petchenik Administrative Assistant Karin Ellis-Wentz Head of Pre-Professional Programs
Keila Hamed-Ramos Community Engagement Business Administrator
Caitlyn Hunyh Evelyn Sanchez Michael Smith Community Engagement Program Coordinators Linda Swayze Community Engagement Program Supervisor
GREG CAMERON President and CEO
COMPANY ADMINISTRATION & PRODUCTION Bradley Renner General Manager Blair Baldwin Company Manager Cody Chen Production Manager Katherine Selig Principal Stage Manager Amanda Heuermann Stage Manager Jake Fine Lighting Supervisor Erin Brown Artistic & Production Administrative Assistant Ellie Cotey Head of Wardrobe
Bridget Holmes Communications Coordinator
Gregg Benkovich First Assistant/Shoe Manager
Grace Kowalski Academy Coordinator
Kate Shattock Second Assistant
Raymond Rodriguez Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program
Barbara Luchsinger Lead Stitcher
Cara Scrementi Partnerships and Production Manager Kyle Seguin Pre-Professional Division Liaison Trish Strong Children’s Division Liaison Juanita Diaz Molly Hillson Kate Stephanus Emma Wilmarth Celina Wu Academy Receptionists
Jerica Hucke Stitcher Daria Wright Head of Hair & Make-Up Joe Principe Head Carpenter Erin Tinsley Head Electrician Gregg Moeller Properties Head George Paulin Sound Engineer David Klein Carpenter Matthew Carney Assistant Electrician James E. Walsh Flyperson
38 | The Joffrey Ballet
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
DEVELOPMENT
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
MARKETING
Clare Brody Assistant Director, Grants & Sponsorships
Shari Massey Deputy Director & Chief Financial Officer
Brian Smith Chief Marketing Officer
Jimmy Byrne Associate Director, Planned Giving & Major Gifts
Aaron Glynn Database Analyst
Colene Byrd Director of Sales & Patron Services
Sheryl Guyer Staff Accountant
Vicki Crain Marketing Manager
Paul Key Director of Technology
Matt de la Peña Director of Communications
John Kurtz Director of Facility Operations
Sam Fain Group Sales Manager
Lauren Martin Executive Assistant
Sarah Fiala Marketing Director
Terry McDonough Controller
Christina Grant Director of Audience Development
Mimi de Castro Associate Director of Corporate Partnerships Adele Dillon Development Operations & Data Specialist Julia Doherty Director of Major Gifts Alex Goodman Development and Events Assistant Annie Lyonswright Associate Director, Individual Giving Chelsea Robinson Director of Events
Dena Shadlow Payroll & Accounts Payable Coordinator Abby Smith Administrative Assistant Sarah Venuti Yates Director of Human Resources
Casey Peek Patron Services Manager Allison Diamond Chelsea Dvorchak Fernando Fernandez Patron Services Associates MUSIC Scott Speck Music Director Grace Kim Michael Moricz Company Pianists
The Joffrey Ballet | 39
2018–2019 SEASON CONTENT PARTNER
EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY 40 | The Joffrey Ballet
7
Restaurants for Holiday Dining in the Loop By Julie Chernoff, Dining Editor, Make It Better
Take your seat for The Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker and the moment you hear those opening notes you’re bound to have visions of gingerbread, sugar plums, and candy canes dancing through your head. Sate your hunger pangs and grab a bite before or after the performance at one of these nearby hot spots.
Left: Acanto. | Photo by Gage Hospitality Group.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
1. Acanto
18 S. Michigan Ave. | 312.578.0763 acantochicago.com Just across from Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago, you’ll find this modern Italian gem, open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Order any of the salumi on offer and win the bonus: a side of delectably rich Parmesan fonduta, which you will smear on everything on the table, as well as lick the bowl. The rigatoni with spiced lamb ragout and caciocavallo cheese and the stone-oven-fired pizza topped with sweet fennel sausage, caramelized onion and rapini are standouts.
2. Atwood
1 W. Washington St. | 312.368.1900 atwoodrestaurant.com They’ve freshened the décor at this Loop favorite located in the boutique Alise Chicago hotel. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner—it is a hotel restaurant, after all—with a focus on the seasonal. Right now I’m loving the hearty Cassoulet Chicken, and the delicata squash with ricotta salata, apples and candied pecans; they taste like late autumn.
The Joffrey Ballet | 41
2018–2019 SEASON CONTENT PARTNER
3. Cherry Circle Room and Cindy’s
12 S. Michigan Ave. | 844.312.2221 | lsdatcaa.com cindysrooftop.com The Chicago Athletic Association’s spectacular new life as a boutique hotel introduced two important restaurants to the Loop’s firmament: Cindy’s, with its spectacular rooftop patio overlooking Millennium Park; and Cherry Circle Room, the more intimate of the two, made for a rendezvous over red meat and a beautifully made Manhattan. Expect to find killer craft cocktails, inspired seasonal cuisine, and chic décor at both locations.
4. The Dearborn
145 N. Dearborn St. | 312.284.1242 | dearbornchicago.com Amy and Clodagh Lawless, sisters of fellow Loop restaurateur Billy Lawless, have brought life to the corner near the Goodman Theatre. It’s a huge undertaking—8,000 square feet, 225 seats— but they’re pulling it off with style. The Mediterranean-leaning menu is filled with craveable items, and that burger, topped with Hook’s one-year cheddar? It’s a wow.
5. Mercat a la Planxa
638 Michigan Ave. | 312.765.0524 mercatchicago.com Some of the best and most inventive Catalonian Spanish food in the city. Mercat has it all: classic and contemporary tapas, beautiful seafood seared “a la planxa,” four tempting paella variations, and even roast suckling pig for the table (call 72 hours in advance to order). The atmosphere is always festive and you’ll never want to leave—just be careful not to miss curtain time!
42 | The Joffrey Ballet
Top: Cherry Circle Room cocktail. | Photo by Clayton Hauck. Bottom: Mercat a la Planxa.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
6. Steadfast
120 W. Monroe St. | 312.801.8899 | steadfastchicago.com The Kimpton Gray Hotel has roped in this gorgeous upscale restaurant at street level. Executive pastry chef/partner Chris Teixera’s bread program is unimpeachable, the beverage program is a stunner and executive chef/partner Ender Oktayuren is putting out some of the prettiest plates in the city. The umami-laden Veal Osso Buco or the King Salmon with miso and black rice are always good bets.
7. tesori
65 E. Adams St. | 312.786.9911 | tesorichicago.com One of my go-to pre-theater and symphony spots, I’m especially partial to the crispy Artichoke Arancini and the juicy Bone-In Pork Chop grigliata. The Neapolitan-style pizzas are impressive, but still approachable for any little theatre-goers you might have in tow. Looking for a place in the Loop to meet someone for a drink and a bite? Check out their lovely bar area.
tesori. | Photo by Marcin Cymmer.
For lifestyle content with purpose, plus the backstory on Chicago’s top restaurants, chefs, and food trends, subscribe to the Better Letter at makeitbetter.com/ subscribe.
The Joffrey Ballet | 43
TUNE IN FOR THE DOCUMENTARY
NARRATED BY NEVE CAMPBELL
Go Behind the Scenes on PBS!
wttw.com/nutcracker
WTTW11 12/20/2018 12/22/2018 12/23/2018 12/24/2018
| 8:00pm | 1:30am
WTTW Prime 12/21/2018 | 6:00am 12/21/2018 | 2:00pm
| 6:00pm | 8:00pm
Making a New American Nutcracker is made possible through the generosity of The Grainger Foundation of Lake Forest, Illinois. 44 | The Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet in The Nutcracker. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
2 SHOW
PACKAGES AVAILABLE
SUBSCRIBE TODAY! JOFFREY.ORG/SUBSCRIPTIONS | 312.386.8905 2018–2019 SEASON SPONSORS
Across the Pond: SMOTHER, 201 Dance Company. | Photo by Cody Choi.
PERFORMS AT:
50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago
THE NUTCRACKER 46 | The Joffrey Ballet
Traditions are hard to create, but we are honored to build a new tradition with our Nutcracker. Every December we celebrate our city and its history, creating a new tradition for every Chicagoan to share. Come join us at the fair! Dancing walnuts and glittering snow await you.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
NUTCRACKER STUDENT MATINEES SPONSORS:
The Mazza Foundation The Joffrey works to provide equitable access to dance, and with the support of Macy’s and The Mazza Foundation, we are able to provide free tickets and buses to more than 5,000 students and their teachers and chaperones. Thank you for helping us keep the theater doors open to all.
For generations of ballet fans, The Nutcracker has been their first taste, igniting a love for dance that will last a lifetime. This year we continue the tradition of sharing the joy of ballet by welcoming a new audience of 5,000 public, charter, private, and parochial school students from 70 schools across our city. In two special student matinees, students, teachers, and chaperones alike can share the magic. We want to make dance accessible to all, and with the help of several generous donors, we are able to make this a reality. Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker weaves together a classic ballet with the history of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, telling a universal tale of the power of imagination and the warmth of community. The World’s Fair was a turning point in Chicago’s history and provides ample material for educational programming. With the support of our sponsors, our Community Engagement team created a curriculum for educators to share with their students. Weaving together Chicago’s history of immigration and innovation with maps and activities, we ask students to actively engage with the past.
Above: Miguel Angel Blanco in The Nutcracker. | Photos by Cheryl Mann.
NUTCRACKER CURRICULUM SPONSORS: Polk Bros Foundation The Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Foundation When the Polk Bros Foundation and The Chauncey and Marion D. McCormick Foundation learned of our new Nutcracker production, they immediately recognized the educational potential of the story. Their vision and generosity enabled us to create a curriculum for educators to share with students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Joffrey Ballet | 47
WELCOME This season, we welcome Citi as a sponsor of The Nutcracker. A world-class city needs a world-class dance company—and The Joffrey Ballet is Chicago’s. With Citi’s support, we serve our community and share the power of dance. One of Citi’s premier offerings, Citigold, is a comprehensive banking and wealth management offer providing clients with access to a world-class investment platform, premium banking benefits and unique lifestyle benefits. Thank you, Citi. Your investment in the Joffrey allows us to share Chicago’s story.
Thank you to returning Nutcracker sponsor Jewell Events Catering. We are glad to have you back for seconds!
48 | The Joffrey Ballet
Valeria Chaykina, Dara Holmes and ensemble in The Nutcracker. | Photo by Cheryl Mann.
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
THANK YOU The Joffrey is grateful to The Nutcracker Commissioning Sponsors: Margot and Josef Lakonishok Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa
Mary Jo and Doug Basler Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock Sandy and Roger Deromedi Pamella Roland DeVos and Daniel DeVos Sonia Florian The Walter E. Heller Foundation Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill Bill and Orli Staley Foundation Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet And the many “Believers” whose generosity helped bring this magical story to life.
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WORD SEARCH 50 | The Joffrey Ballet
L V W Y E D M H E N A R H K O
F L B O W V N C T K A A K M H
H S I I R Z O W Z T W V Z F F
N N V B R L V L C W G B X F U
F O K J O Y D A Z E D T Q T C
C W C Z L L T S T I O H U S I
C F X I J C A H F R C T L Z S
X L M N H R T F N A G J Q T Y
A A J E A A T J F M I C L T W
F K R T B A B D H U F R U H I
R E K C A R C T U N B U O O T
F S Z P G W H E E L D O N A R
J E X Z H U G Z I N D W I C K
K I A R I F Q O J W F C O B X
BUFFALOBILL
MARIE
SNOWFLAKES
FAMILY
NUTCRACKER
WHEELDON
LOVE
RATCATCHER
WORLDSFAIR
X D K W Z W U E Y J R Q A F P
2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
COLOR THE NUTCRACKER
WORLD’S FAIR
FUN FACTS INVENTIONS AND GADGETS THAT PREMIERED AT THE FAIR INCLUDE: • Ferris wheel • Spray paint • Moving walkway • Electric railway • Neon lights and the fluorescent light bulb • Vacuum cleaner • Electric dishwasher • Vaseline • The zipper
FOODS THAT MADE THEIR DEBUT: • Aunt Jemima pancakes • Cracker Jack popcorn • Cream of Wheat • Juicy Fruit gum • Vienna sausages
The Joffrey Ballet | 51
FACILITIES AND SERVICES EFROYMSON PATRON SERVICES CENTER is located in Aisle 1 of the main floor and is open throughout performances to assist patrons with any needs they may have.
•
CONCESSIONS are available throughout the theatre lobbies.
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OUTSIDE FOOD AND BEVERAGE ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE THEATRE. For Joffrey performances, all purchased snacks must be consumed in the lobby. Only bottled water and drinks purchased in Auditorium Theatre souvenir cups are allowed in the seating area.
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RESTROOMS are located on the lower level and in the Baryl Family Lobby (third floor). Accessible and all-gender restroom facilities are located in the southwest corner of the main lobby and on the third floor.
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ACCESSIBILITY: The Auditorium Theatre is accessible to all patrons and fully complies with ADA requirements. Various levels of accommodations are available to patrons who require assisted listening devices, signed performances, or accessible seating. Additionally, our Efroymson Patron Services Center office, located in Aisle 1 of the main lobby, is open throughout performances to assist patrons with any needs they may have. For more information on accessibility, please call 312.341.2300.
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PUBLIC TELEPHONES are located in Patron Services.
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Please turn off all ELECTRONIC DEVICES that may ring, beep, vibrate, or otherwise produce a sound that may disrupt the performance. Electronic devices include mobile phones, pagers, and watches.
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52 | The Joffrey Ballet
SMOKING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED in the theatre and within 25 feet of any entrance.
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COAT CHECK is seasonal and located in the main floor lobby.
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THE USE OF VIDEO, PHOTOGRAPHY, or any other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre during performances.
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THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE HAS A STRICT POLICY OF NO LATE SEATING. Patrons arriving after the performance begins, or leaving the seating area for any reason, will be seated in a designated section and may take their ticketed seats at intermission.
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LOST AND FOUND: Found articles should be left with Patron Services located in Aisle 1 of the main lobby. To determine whether a personal article has been turned in to the Lost and Found, please call 312.341.2389. Any items lost or presumed stolen are not the responsibility of the Auditorium Theatre.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER during performances is 312.341.2389.
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FIRE NOTICE: The exit indicated by a lighted sign nearest to your seat is the shortest route out of the theatre. In the event of a theatre evacuation, WALK TO THAT EXIT.
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FIREARMS: In compliance with the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act, the Auditorium Theatre prohibits the carrying of weapons of any kind in the theatre and on theatre property.
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US EXCLUSIVE 2018–2019 SEASON | THE NUTCRACKER
“... A beautiful and intelligent remaking of the beloved classic.” — The New York Times
English National Ballet Akram Khan’s Giselle February 28, 2019 / 7:30PM March 1, 2019 / 7:30PM March 2, 2019 / 2:00PM + 7:30PM
Photo by Laurent Liotardo.
312.334.7777 | harristheaterchicago.org | 205 East Randolph Drive
The Harris Family Foundation, Caryn and King Harris Dance Residency Fund
Abby McCormick O’Neil and D. Carroll Joynes
Engagement Presenting Sponsor
Engagement Lead Sponsor
Live Music Sponsor
Brenda Shapiro
Sara Albrecht
Engagement Sponsor
Engagement Sponsor
Engagement Corporate Sponsor
Additional The Joffrey Ballet |Support 53
For all acts of life.
PROUD SUPPORTER
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is proud to support the arts throughout Chicago and is honored to sponsor The Joffrey Ballet and their performance of The Nutcracker. Photo credit: The Joffrey Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker. Photo by Cheryl Mann. A Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association