{"id":73473,"date":"2021-12-22T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T16:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=73473"},"modified":"2021-12-22T11:00:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T16:00:22","slug":"scoop-national-ballet-cancels-holiday-nutcracker-wake-covid-upswing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/12\/22\/scoop-national-ballet-cancels-holiday-nutcracker-wake-covid-upswing\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SCOOP | National Ballet Cancels Holiday Nutcracker In Wake Of COVID Upswing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"National_Ballet__nutracker_cancelled\"<\/p>\n

After a two-year hiatus, The Nutcracker<\/em>\u00a0represented a return to holiday traditions at the National Ballet of Canada.<\/p>\n

That return is short-lived, as the National Ballet has announced they have cancelled all remaining performances through December 31, 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll our ticketholders have been notified, and they will all receive options, including a full refund and keeping their tickets for Nutcracker 2022,\u201d a statement said.<\/p>\n

According to the National ballet, the cancelled due to breakthrough cases of COVID-19 within the company ranks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an incredibly difficult decision to cancel the remaining performances of The Nutcracker<\/em>, for both the company and artists but also for our audiences as we know it is such a big part of many holiday traditions,\u201d said Hughson. \u201cHowever, our first and foremost priority has always been the health and safety of all and although this news is not unexpected, we are deeply saddened to have to cancel the beloved holiday favourite mid-run.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 50% capacity limits<\/a> for all indoor sports and entertainment venues with 1000+ seats across Ontario were also a factor in the decision.<\/p>\n

The downside of capacity limits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While venues can quickly adapt to the logistics of capacity limits by blocking off seats, a 50% capacity limit also means a 50% reduction in revenue for a production. This reduction can remove the financial upside for arts producers, who have increasingly relied on the uptick from holiday programming to help fund the rest of their seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Nutcracker<\/em> is the bread and butter for North American ballet companies,\u201d said Barry Hughson, executive director of The National Ballet of Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur core business is live performance, there\u2019s nothing that replaces it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Another factor to consider is that producers are already hurting due to two years of government-mandated shutdowns. While capacity limits may offer a way to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 variants, the downside is that they obstruct vulnerable organizations\u2019 ability to generate revenue.<\/p>\n

What to do if you already have a ticket<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The National Ballet has sent out an email outlining details with multiple options:<\/p>\n