Museum & Theatre Educators and Actors Participate in Inaugural Portland Nutcracker Experience at Brick South
Portland Bach Experience and Thompson’s Point announce the inaugural Portland Nutcracker Experience on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at Brick South, Thompson’s Point in Portland, featuring a live orchestra and prima ballerinas from Portland Bach Experience (PBE), and child actors and educators from the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (Museum & Theatre). At a time when families are gathered together for the holiday, this interactive event provides a rare, family-friendly opportunity to bring your loved ones, your tutus and dancing shoes, and your creativity together for this immersive experience for all ages where families can dance in the Nutcracker alongside ballerinas.
When doors open at 10 a.m., Brick South will be a winter wonderland filled with crafts, holiday cookies, hot chocolate, and a full bar. The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP) will share their furry friends. Portland Bach Experience ballerinas and child actors from the Museum & Theatre will motivate the crowd with a festive parade and Museum & Theatre educators will lead a Nutcracker Mouse Finger Puppet-making activity.
As the performance begins, guests step inside the Nutcracker to dance beside the prima ballerinas or simply listen to the sweeping melodies of the live symphonic orchestra while enjoying hot chocolate or cocktails. After the 45-minute performance, participants peek behind the scenes with an instrument “petting zoo” and ballerina meet-and-greet.
“I believe that great music should not just be heard but experienced,” said Emily Isaacson, Portland Bach Experience’s founder and artistic director. “Nothing embodies the drama, the magic, and the unencumbered joy of live performance more than Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, so it is the perfect way to invite people to immerse themselves - body and spirit - in great music.”
“We’re excited to partner with Portland Bach Experience to create a fun family event for all to enjoy on the Thompson’s Point campus,” said Chelsea O’Reilly, Director of Programming at Thompson’s Point.
Every ticket holder will be able to skate before or after the Winter Wonderland at The Rink at Thompson’s Point, located adjacent to Brick South, at a discounted rate. Food and drink will be available for purchase throughout the event.
Morning and afternoon programs provide two opportunities to enjoy the winter wonderland. Tickets start at $25, with an all-inclusive option available.
SCHEDULE - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2019
Morning Ticket: 10am-Noon, 11am Performance
Afternoon Ticket: 2-4pm, 3pm Performance
TICKETS
$25 General Admission
$50 All-Inclusive (includes a Maine-made handcrafted child’s mask, holiday cheer crafting stations, and cookies and hot chocolate from the winter wonderland hot chocolate bar!
Pickup your all-inclusive ticket and handcrafted mask at Maker’s Market at the Point on December 15 and December 22 or at Brick South on December 16 and December 17 from 10am - 2pm. Have the gift of wonder and enchantment ready for the holiday season!
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit https://www.thompsonspointmaine.com/event/the-portland-nutcracker-experience/ .
About Portland Bach Experience
Portland Bach Experience was founded in 2017 by Emily Isaacson to present classical music for the modern world. Anchored in the Baroque tradition and centered around world-class artists, the Portland Bach Experience uses distinctive programming, dynamic interpretations, and authentic connections that make the sounds of the past the music of now.
About Thompson’s Point
Thompson’s Point, located on the Fore River in Portland, Maine, is a one stop destination location, welcoming groups from intimate gatherings to outdoor festivals with plentiful parking, neighboring museums, and local foods and libations. A transportive place like nothing else you’ve ever seen or experienced and alive with kinetic, creative energy, Thompson’s Point is becoming an iconic symbol of what we all know and love about Maine. With creativity, vision, and independent spirit the possibilities at Thompson’s Point are endless.
About the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine exists to inspire discovery and imagination through exploration and play with a focus on science learning, community engagement, performing and visual arts, and early childhood education. The Museum & Theatre serves as an indispensable resource for families of all economic means, as well as caregivers and educators, by helping to create an inclusive community devoted to children's development and learning. With hundreds of educational programs, nearly a century of children’s theatre history and nearly fifty years as a children’s museum, the award-winning organization is considered one of the top children’s museums in the country.
CONTACT
Chelsea O’Reilly, Director of Programming - Thompson’s Point
chelsea@thompsonspointmaine.com
https://www.thompsonspointmaine.com/
Emily Southard, Managing Director - Portland Bach Experience