The Other Toy Story

Students have chance to view ballet at discount

By JEFF WALTON, Features Editor

Published: November 29, 2000

At the trill of a flute, two mice emerge from the darkness and make themselves at home in the Stahlbaum family drawing room. A Chinese tiger and its attendants spin around a lantern-lit room and furious mice wage war with scimitars and cannons.

And it happens every year.

As it has since its debut in 1983, Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" is returning to the Seattle Center Opera House, complete with 180 intricate costumes, over 300 performers and a 950-pound growing Christmas tree.

More than a few Christmas memories will also be playing an important role.

"["Nutcracker"] is the greatest holiday tradition ever," said freshman Francesca Fayram, who first saw the ballet when she was 7 years old. "It transports you into the world of sugar plums and fairy dust."

Based on the 1816 E.T.A. Hoffman story, "Nutcracker" chronicles the Christmas Eve dream of Clara Stahlbaum, a girl from 19th century Germany. Since it was first performed as a ballet in 1892, "Nutcracker" has become a tradition in many cities. The Pacific Northwest Ballet's production is one of the largest on the West Coast and is expected to draw over 90,000 people during 33 performances this December.

In another tradition, Associated Students of Seattle Pacific (ASSP) will be buying tickets at a group discount and subsidizing their cost in order to offer them inexpensively to students.

"We get "Nutcracker" tickets to provider a cultural experience at a discount -- to help students do something they would not normally be able to afford," said ASSP Vice President of Activities Chris Kattenhorn.

"I'm going to see it because the ticket prices are really reasonable," said freshman Kimberly Jarvis, a first-time attendee.

Discounted tickets have been purchased for Dec. 2(opening night), Dec. 3 and Dec. 7. Students can buy them at the ASSP office for $9, discounted from their normal price of $18 to $21.

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