Weather WARNING
If you do not have a 4x4--and even if you do--our back parking lot becomes VERY slippery when it is cold and snowy! Please use caution coming and going to the studio and park up on the street (that is paved) if you are not sure. We have pushed MANY cars out in the past and would like to avoid many “stuck” cars if we can.
Nutcracker Info
Update! - I am sorry to say that I have no choice but to charge $7 for Nutcracker tickets instead of $5. After talking with the High School and confirming all of our rehearsal hours, the charge for the school is just going to be too much for me to take the gamble on the “hope” that we will sell enough tickets! I also pay for all our hourly hired help, janitors, stage crew, and guest artists. I simply can’t afford to pay out of my pocket for these things if we don’t sell enough seats. $7 per seat is still the cheapest ticket we have had in all 5 years of Nutcrackers! Thank you ahead of time for your understanding. Tickets are now on sale at the front desk.
Reminder - All students will be in both performances of the Nutcracker. Look under the link at the right for the rehearsal schedule.
Party Boys
I have ordered vests and black sweats (so that we all match) for your child to use. The rental cost is $10. Please send money with your son at the next rehearsal. Remember that you will still need to supply a white button-down, long-sleeve shirt, black knee-high socks and black dress shoes.
Nutcracker Tickets
Tickets are on sale all month at our front desk! They will also be on sale on Saturday, December 11th at Cory Adams Photography (while we are taking pictures) and also at the door of both performances. Price again is $7. To avoid waiting in line at the performances, get your tickets early! We will also be able to pre-order your DVD copy of the Nutcracker at Cory Adams or the front desk from Big Think Marketing. The Cory Adams picture schedule and order forms will be sent home with your child’s costume.
Just a reminder of the days we will be performing:
- Saturday, Dec. 18, 7:00pm
- Monday, Dec. 20, 7:00pm
Please follow your rehearsal schedule!!! I will let you know who I will need on the days that the schedule says “to be announced at a later date.”
Parents of young children (Gumdrops, Little Chinese, Candy Canes, Mice and Gingerbread), your children may not need to be there the whole time on the Act 1 or Act 11 dress rehearsal on December 18 at American Fork High. I have scheduled a lot of time to run some other parts that do not include your children. I have no way of knowing how long it will take us to make sure that your children are comfortable on stage, so if you have a child in one of these dances, please sit in the audience and I will excuse them once I know they are feeling comfortable. I am hoping to just run their dance once with all the lights and then I will excuse them. Please be there the whole time, because chances are that your children may get done early. There is NO way to know exactly what time they will be finished. I have no idea until we are there running everything (your child’s teacher does not know either). If you can’t sit there and wait for your young child, please have somebody there that can.
Costumes
Costumes will be distributed the week of December 6th. Parents please remember that your child needs to have the proper hair, shoes and tights for every performance (this information is listed below). It is your responsibility to make sure that your child has clothes that cover up her costume coming and going from the theater. If you go out to eat before or after the show, please make sure that your children are kept clean. Costumes need to last for both the shows and they can’t be washed. If your child needs repair on her costume during the run of the show, this is your responsibility. You may not alter her costume in any way other than small repairs. If major repair is needed let me know. Please make sure that your child’s name is in everything that she brings to the theater in a way that can’t be seen on stage. She must take everything home with her each performance. Nothing is to be left at the theater. If your child is missing part of her costume including proper shoes, tights and hairpiece for any performance she WILL NOT be allowed on stage to perform. Please help your children to be responsible with their things. I will keep your child’s props (wands, crowns, guns, dolls etc.) at the theater for each performance. All children should come to the theater in make-up. Girls: Rouge, eye shadow, lipstick, mascara. Boys: Rouge, lipstick. Children must arrive in costume, with the proper hair, tights and shoes for each dance.
Hair Information
Party Scene Parents, Party Girls, Clara
- Sides up, back in tons of small ringlets, no bangs.
- Slicked back ponytail. No bangs. Ponytail needs to be curled in ringlets. (This is different from years past, but we have kids that have to go from hair up to hair down in the same performance. This will make it easier on them.)
- Sides up, back curled
- Slicked back curly ponytail. I realize that your child may not have a ton of hair at this point - please do the best you can. (I have a hairpiece with chop-sticks in it for each one of your girls to put on top of the ponytail in the back that is DARLING!)
- Hair must be parted on the side and slicked down, neatly combed.
- Hair needs to be all slicked back into a bun, no hair fly-aways. Buns need to be covered with a hair net that matches your child’s hair color. Use bobby pins to secure her bun to her head. If your child does not have enough hair for a bun, you must buy her a bun to pin in. NO ponytails.
- Buns need to be in the middle of the back of the head, except soldiers (needs to be low for hat)
- ***No dancer should have to change their hair during the performance, except a couple of Mademoiselle’s.
- All Combo dancers (gumdrops, little chinese, gingerbread, mice and butterflies) need to have pink-footed tights with NO holes for the performances (TIGHTS MUST COVER HER FEET).
- All dancers need to have pink canvas or leather ballet slippers with elastic sewn neatly across the arch of the foot. No exceptions for satin slippers.
- All other dancers need to have full-footed pink tights OR (I prefer) peach colored (ballet pink), footed ballet tights with the seam down the back. They are available at the Glass Slipper, on AF Main Street, or at any dance supply store.
- All Female Parents need to have black heeled shoes with a strap across the across the arch.
- All Party Scene Fathers and boys need to have black dress shoes and black socks.
I need volunteers! There is now a sign-up sheet at the studio. Please get a back stage pass from Heidi as you sign up for your post. You will need to wear this to get into the rehearsals or performances. If you have ideas for quiet, non-messy games or things to pass time for the younger children, please feel free to bring those activities. We will have a movie running, so your responsibility will be to make sure everybody stays in their rooms, and has a good experience. I will have my staff come and get them when it is time for them to dance, and bring them back when they are finished. Please do not leave the room or door that you are assigned to unless you are taking kids to the bathroom.
Drop-off and Pick-up AT AMERICAN FORK HIGH SCHOOL
The “drop off/pick up” point for all the children performing is going to be the first set of doors on the South side of American Fork High School. People coming to the show will use the middle set of doors, but the performers will use the first set of doors (west) on the South side of the building. I will have signs out for everything. This door is where the children can be checked in (with a parent helper) and somebody will walk them back to their dressing room where they will wait for the remainder of the show. All children that are not in the finale (gumdrops, candy canes, gingerbread, chinese and mice) can be picked up each night between 8:00 - 8:15pm for evening performance if you are not attending the performance. (We STRONGLY encourage somebody to be at each performance). If you will be attending the performance, then you can pick your children up at the outside door area after the show. Please only send ONE person in the door to pick up your children. This is a small space and it can become very crowded. I have decided that your small children who are in Gumdrops, Little Chinese, Mice and Gingerbread, do not need to be at each performance until 15 minutes prior to the show. They are not in the first act and so there is no need for them to be so early.
American Fork High School Theater Performance Policies
- There will be absolutely no unauthorized parent, or adult allowed backstage during a dress rehearsal, or performance of the Nutcracker. Safety of your children is our number one concern. Please trust us backstage with your kids, and tell grandmothers, family members and friends to do the same.
- No children are allowed to be in the front of the theatre in their costume. If your child has performed, and you want your child to come out and watch the remainder of the performance with you, they must have a ticket, and a change of clothes, or they will have to remain back stage. You may only pick them up at the back door.
- There will be no videotaping or flash cameras during performances at any time. As stated in the November Newsletter there will be copies of the DVD for both show nights to buy.
Thank You
This is such a great experience for your children. All my great memories are from my old Nutcracker days. It is going to be a great show! I really appreciate everybody being so willing to help, and so willing to bring your daughters and sons to the studio so often! I could not do this without all of your support! Thank You All! Call or email me with questions anytime.
