Students at University of North Carolina School of the Arts prepare a new filmed Nutcracker, to premiere online this December.
“For the first time in over 50 years, area audiences will not see University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ ‘The Nutcracker’ in the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem,” writes Lynn Felder in Tuesday’s (12/1) Winston-Salem Journal (NC). “But the alternative—a film of the Christmas classic—might turn out to be just as much fun…. What you will see are four of the state conservatory’s five schools—Dance, Music, Design and Production, and Filmmaking—collaborating for the first time to create a 30-minute film…. It will be available online on demand starting Dec. 17. ‘The Nutcracker’ Opening Night Scholarship Benefit, a fundraiser for student scholarships on Dec. 12, will include live interaction with cast and creators … and more. To comply with COVID-19 restrictions and keep everyone safe, UNCSA moved everything … into the filmmaking school’s largest soundstage…. Musicians and dancers performed and were filmed six feet apart wearing masks, but with the magic of filmmaking … it looks as if they are all on stage together…. Karin Hendrickson, who has previously guest-conducted at UNCSA, is directing an abridged score that she arranged. Chris Heckmann, a UNCSA film composition graduate and now professor, did the sound mixing.”
