The Nutcracker Returns: Behind the Curtain with GR Ballet

Grand Rapids Ballet, Michigan’s home for professional ballet, will bring the beloved holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” back to downtown Grand Rapids. Two wonderful weekends of performances start Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., followed by two shows on Saturday, Dec. 13 (a 2 p.m. matinee and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m.) and another matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. Weekend number two kicks off Friday, Dec. 19 and follows the same schedule. All shows take place at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, in downtown Grand Rapids.This year’s cast includes:

Clara
Vivian Mosolygo, School Dancer (Dec. 12, Dec. 14, Dec. 20)
Rosabel Beaumont (Dec. 13, Dec. 19, Dec. 21)

Drosselmeyer  
Attila Mosolygo, School Director (Dec. 12 & 13, 2 p.m. and Dec. 20)
James Sofranko, Artistic Director ( Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 20, 2 p.m.; Dec 21)
Nigel Tau, Company Dancer (Dec. 14, 2 p.m.)

The Nutcracker/Prince
James Cunningham (Dec. 12, Dec. 19)
Josué Justiz (Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 20, 2 p.m.)
Nathan Young (Dec. 13, 2 p.m.; Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.)
Anderson Da Silva (Dec. 14, Dec 21)

The Sugar Plum Fairy
Yuka Oba-Muschiana  (Dec. 12, Dec. 21)
Talia Lebowitz  (Dec. 13, 2 p.m.)
Ahna Lipchik (Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.)
Rena Takahashi (Dec. 20, 2 p.m.; Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.)
Rowan Allegra (Dec. 14,  Dec. 19)

(More dance company members and cast bios available HERE.)

The creators of GR Ballet’s “Nutcracker” are Val Caniparoli, Choreography; Chris Van Allsburg, Set Imagination; Eugene Lee, Set Design; Shawn Boyle, Projection Designer; Patricia Barker, Costume Design & Former GRB Artistic Director; Paul Miller, Lighting Designer. All creator information is available on GR Ballet’s Nutcracker webpage.

Ahead of this year’s production of “The Nutcracker,” Grand Rapids Magazine chatted with Grand Rapids Ballet’s Executive Director Mary Jennings. We touched upon many subjects, starting with my favorite aspect of the ballet, the iconic music.

Grand Rapids Magazine: The music for the ballet is instantly recognizable and includes composer Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy” the energetic “Russian Dance” “Waltz of the Flowers” and the “Arabian Dance” to name a few.
Mary Jennings: Correct.

GR Mag: Will the Grand Rapids Symphony be performing the music?  If so, how many dress rehearsals do you do before opening night? Who is conducting?
MJ: Yes! The GRSO will be performing live for each performance. We have two dress rehearsals together before opening night. This partnership is supported by Cate and Sid Jansma and First National Bank of Michigan.

GR Mag: Anything people need to know about attending? What do you wear to the ballet? What’s etiquette?
MJ:  The Ballet is for everybody, and folks are welcome to dress in what is most comfortable for them; At The Nutcracker, we invite audiences to dress how they are comfortable, for some that might mean jeans and boots, and for others they might come in their holiday finest – gowns or suits. You’ll find folks in all of the above.

GR Mag: Do people clap when an especially difficult dance move is performed or does the audience hold the applause until the end?
MJ: Yes, we absolutely love when audiences respond to the performance in real time, as opposed to waiting until a piece is over to applaud. It’s very common (and appreciated by the performers) when audiences applaud, or even whoop or yell “Bravo!” during impressive or difficult moments.

GR Mag: Last year was a milestone year for GR Ballet’s “Nutcracker”— 10 years on stage at DeVos. What can we look forward to in the next decade from GR Ballet? What’s on the horizon?
MJ: We’ve been performing the Nutcracker at DeVos Performance Hall since the venue’s opening! This production of the Nutcracker, featuring designs by Chris Van Allsburg and Eugene Lee, premiered in 2014.

GR Mag: When do rehearsals start/how long does it take to prepare?
MJ: We’ve been teaching and rehearsing Nutcracker and Swan Lake since August.

GR Mag: Is there anyone you’d like to thank? Sponsors, under-recognized workers or volunteers, standout staff?
MJ: We could not do the work we do without the generous support of our subscribers, individual donors, and sponsors. This year’s production is sponsored by Meijer Inc, with support from Foster Swift. The 2025-26 season is sponsored by the Wege Foundation and Jim and Mary Nelson.

GR Mag: How can people get involved with the Grand Rapids Ballet?
MJ: There are so many ways for folks to get involved! Attend performances, sign up for a volunteer shift to work in the Annual Nutcracker Boutique, or a future performance as a volunteer usher at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre. We also offer adult and youth classes year-round, for beginners and experienced students alike.

GR Mag: When we chatted before, you mentioned that people should beware of ticket fraud and that there are only certain outlets where tickets for Grand Rapids Ballet’s “Nutcracker” can be purchased. What are those URLs and is it possible to buy tickets the day of the performance or from the Grand Rapids Ballet Box office, and if so, what’s the address and phone number?
MJ: The only authorized sellers of Grand Rapids Ballet tickets are www.ticketmaster.com and www.grballet.com. To avoid Ticketmaster fees, folks can visit or call the Grand Rapids Ballet box office at 616.454.4771 ext. 110.

GR Mag: Tell me a bit about last year’s fraudulent “3,000 tickets.” (What a nightmare, by the way.) What happened exactly?
JM: During our annual Nutcracker 50% off Summer Sale that took place in July, we were targeted by a sophisticated reseller campaign. Resellers fraudulently purchased over 3,000 tickets, and then listed them for sale at inflated prices. We worked with Ticketmaster to recoup 1,100 of those tickets and release them back for sale for individuals. Resellers are an industry-wide issue; Their websites often are the first few results when you use Google or another search engine to find tickets and it can be easy to mistake their websites for legitimate, authorized sales sources. We recommend that audiences go directly to Ticketmaster.com or GRBallet.com to purchase tickets to ensure that their tickets are legitimate.

GR Mag: What accommodations are there for people who have special accessibility needs?
MJ: All accommodation information can be found here on the DeVos Performance Hall website.

There you have it—everything you need to know about Grand Rapids Ballet’s annual presentation of “The Nutcracker.” (A previous post on our website contained errors, and we’re glad to have corrected them.) And one last thing for those with children or grandchildren: don’t miss the GR Ballet dancers’ special appearance at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 4–8 p.m., where families can meet performers, try on costumes, and enjoy a bit of Nutcracker magic.