Thank you for joining West Suburban Ballet Conservatory for our forth annual production of The Nutcracker We’re so happy to present our production again this year, and thank you all for supporting us by being here.
Nutcracker season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love to see our dancers, faulty, and volunteers come together to make magic happen and share holiday joy Congrats to everyone and thank you for all you do
Enjoy the show and happy holidays!
Kyle Seguin Founding Director
West Suburban Ballet Conservatory
The Nutcracker West Suburban Ballet Conservatory
Choreography: Kyle Seguin
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Rehearsal Directors: Maan Almodovar, Ludmila Lupu, José Pablo Castro Cuevas Kseniia Stetsenko, Valeria Chaykina, Lauren (Baznik) Spahr
Premiere: December 17, 2021 | La Grange, IL
Synopsis
It's Christmas Eve and the Stahlbaums are celebrating. Marie and her bother Fritz are full of excitement and holiday joy. Drosselmeyer, the children’s godfather, arrives at the house and entertains the family with magic tricks and life-sized dancing dolls. He then gives Marie a very special gift - a magical nutcracker. Fritz is envious of Marie’s gift and mischievously breaks it. Drosselmeyer fixes the nutcracker then departs for the evening.
When it’s time to go to bed, Marie begs to sleep downstairs on the couch. Her mother finally agrees, and she falls asleep. As the clock strikes midnight, Marie begins to dream about giant mice! The mice frighten her, but the Nutcracker comes to life to protect her. The Mouse King challenges the Nutcracker to a duel. Marie helps the Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King, but the Nutcracker collapses from exhaustion. Before Marie can even blink, Drosselmeyer appears and reenergizes the Nutcracker by transforming him into a dashing prince.
Marie and the Prince journey through dancing snowflakes in the Land of Snow before arriving in the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes them and asks why they are in her kingdom. The Prince reenacts the battle with the Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairy commands a festival of dancing to honor her guests and their bravery. Marie and the Prince are delighted as sweet treats from around the world dazzle them with their dances.
Marie says goodbye to all the characters in her dream as she awakens on Christmas morning with a smile on her face and her nutcracker safe in her arms.
The Nutcracker
CAST
Scene I - The Party
Marie
Amelia Duda (SAT)
Callie Mraz (SUN)
Fritz
Emily Brambilla (SAT MAT)
Callie Mraz (SAT EVE)
Amelia Duda (SUN)
Dr. Stahlbaum
Erik Duda (SAT)
Matt Border (SUN)
Frau Stahlbaum
Kristen Duda (SAT)
Clara Deroche (SUN)
Stahlbaum Family Dog
Opal Seguin
Herr Drosselmeyer
Kyle Seguin
Stahlbaum Maid
Isabella Smith (SAT MAT)
Layla Blasutti (SAT EVE, SUN)
Ballerina Doll
Callie Mraz (SAT MAT)
Lily Broder (SAT EVE, SUN)
Soldier Doll
Ella Michniewicz (SAT MAT)
Emily Brambilla (SAT EVE)
Gabrielle Torres (SUN)
Scene II - The Battle
Nutcracker Prince
Oliver Cohorn
Mouse King
Mia Michniewicz (SAT MAT)
Lily Broder (SAT EVE)
Emily Brambilla (SUN)
Mice
Emily Brambilla & Callie Mraz (SAT MAT)
Eleanore Bourgeois & Clara Deroche (SAT EVE)
Ella Michniewicz & Mia Michniewicz (SUN)
Baby Mice
Aria Almodovar, Eloise Bourgeois, Fiona Krumm
The Nutcracker
CAST
Scene III - Land of Snow
Snow Queen Mia Lachman
Snow King Jacob Anderson
Snowflakes
Layla Blasutti (SAT MAT, SUN), Eleanore Bourgeois, Emily Brambilla, Lily Broder, Clara Deroche, Amelia Duda (SUN), Ella Michniewicz (SAT EVE), Mia Michniewicz (SAT EVE), Callie Mraz (SUN), Isabella Smith (SAT MAT, SUN), Gabrielle Torres
The Nutcracker
CAST
Scene IV - Kingdom of the Sugarplum Fairy
Hot Chocolate
Lily Broder (SAT MAT, SUN)
Layla Blasutti (SAT EVE)
Coffee
Emily Brambilla (SAT MAT)
Gabrielle Torres (SAT EVE)
Clara Deroche (SUN)
Tea
Layla Blasutti & Ella Michniewicz (SAT MAT)
Eleanore Bourgeois (SAT EVE)
Emily Brambilla & Gabrielle Torres (SUN)
Candy Cane
Isabella Smith with
Emily Brambilla, Clara Deroche, Mia Michniewicz, Callie Mraz (SAT MAT)
Lily Broder with
Ella Michniewicz, Mia Michniewicz, Isabella Smith, Gabrielle Torres (SAT EVE)
Layla Blasutti with
Lily Broder, Amelia Duda, Ella Michniewicz, Mia Michniewicz (SUN)
Marzipan
Gabrielle Torres with
Layla Blasutti & Lily Broder (SAT MAT)
Emily Brambilla with Layla Blasutti & Callie Mraz (SAT EVE)
Layla Blasutti, Emily Brambilla (SAT EVE, SUN), Lily Broder (SAT EVE), Amelia Duda (SUN), Ella Michniewicz, Mia Michniewicz, Callie Mraz (SAT), Isabella Smith (SAT MAT), Gabrielle Torres (SAT MAT, SUN)
The Sugarplum Fairy
Eleanore Bourgeois (SAT MAT, SUN)
Clara Deroche (SUN
Sugarplum Cavalier
Mark-David Bloodgood
Guest Artists
Mark-David Bloodgood (Sugarplum Cavalier) is a former principal dancer with the Saint Louis Ballet and a national guest artist and a ballet instructor with over a decade of industry experience. Originally from Seattle, Mr. Bloodgood trained on scholarship for twelve years at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School before moving on to dance with such companies as Huntsville Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet II, BalletMet II and Indianapolis Ballet. In addition to his career in ballet, Mr. Bloodgood has danced extensively in both opera and film, holds a full Pilates certification through Balanced Body, and is certified in the ABT® National Training Curriculum (Pre-Primary through Level 3).
Mia Lachman (Snow Queen) joined the Pre-Professional Program at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2016, and was promoted to the Conservatory Program in 2017, where she trained with Kyle Seguin Karin EllisWentz Mia was then a Trainee with Joffrey from 2019 to 2021 In 2021, Mia joined the second company at Oregon Ballet Theatre, where she danced for two seasons, performing in Balanchine’s Nutcracker (corps de ballet and as the Columbine Doll) and in Ben Stevenson’s Dracula. In 2023, Mia received a second company contract with Nashville Ballet, where she had original works set on her by Resident Choreographer, Molly Sansone, and the Second Company Director, Maria Konrad She also performed in Paul Vasterling’s The Nutcracker and participated in many community engagement events Mia is currently based in Chicago and is excited to be a part of West Suburban Ballet’s Nutcracker
Jacob Anderson grew up in Fairfax, Virginia where he danced with the Metropolitan School of the Arts. He trained in many styles but mainly focused on classical ballet, teaching, and choreographing In 2024, he competed in Youth America Grand Prix, where he placed 3rd Jacob is currently a trainee with the Joffrey Ballet and was selected to be a guest performer in Fairy Doll for Ruth Page’s annual gala Jacob has attended many summer intensives over the course of his training, including Dutch National Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Nashville Ballet
Oliver Cohorn (Nutcracker Prince) lives in Richardson, Texas and is a studnet at Texas Ballet Theater Oliver has danced in Texas Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker and also participates in theater and musical theater productions at his school
