The Maple Youth Ballet is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section
Maple Youth Ballet's The NutcrackerSaturday, December 19 at 2 pm & 7 pm
Sunday, December 20 at 3 pm
Monday, December 21 at 7 pm
Tuesday, December 22 at 7 pm
At the beautiful & spacious
Northwood Performing Arts Theatre in Irvine
View theatre directions & map
Music by Peter Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Charles Maple
Stage Sets by Jenny Tomich
From the moment the lights dim, you will be transported to a magical place filled with dancing snowflakes, a dashing prince, and Tchaikovsky's majestic score based on one of the world's most beloved ballets.
Share the tradition of fantasy as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker Prince and Clara ignite the imagination of your princes and princesses of all ages. Watch as this unique Orange County experience unfolds, showcasing more than 80 exceptionally talented & classically trained dancers from across the Southland!
Featuring original choreography by Artistic Director Charles Maple, The Maple Youth Ballet's The Nutcracker is a full-length rendition-with-a-twist of E.T.A. Hoffman’s time-honored classic which centers around Clara, a young girl who yearns to one day become a professional ballerina.
Running Time: About 2 hours with intermission; refreshments & snacks will be on sale along with our spectacular Nutcracker boutique!
Special Guest Artist: Brian Waldrep, ABT IIBrian Waldrep, a member of American Ballet Theatre's acclaimed ABT II, returns once again to perform in the Maple Youth Ballet's The Nutcracker. ABT II is a classical company of young dancers who show outstanding potential and are hand-picked from around the world by the ABT artistic staff.
Learn more about ABT II's Brian Waldrep
Celebrate the holiday season in style with our new 50' hand-painted sets created by award-winning designer, Jenny Tomich and our sumptuous costumes. Share in the excitement as our magnificent holiday tree creates an astonishing and thrilling special effect as it magically grows to 55' high, encompassing the entire stage!
Click the image & view a short video clip from our 2008 Nutcracker!
Additional Treats for Our Young Audience On Saturday & SundaySaturday Matinee:
Pre-Show Nutcracker Storytelling (At 1:30pm, prior to the Saturday 2pm performance)
Children and their family are invited our free, pre-show Nutcracker storytelling session in which they will learn about the story of the Nutcracker and its rich traditions. Special Nutcracker treats will also be presented to our young storyteller patrons by our Maple Youth Ballet volunteers in costume!
Sunday Matinee:
On-Stage Dance Workshop For Young Audiences (Immediately following Sunday's 3pm performance)
Children ages 4-8 are invited to free, fun-filled dance workshop led by Maple Conservatory faculty Pili Doheny and members from the Maple Youth Ballet. During this 20-minute workshop, Ms. Doheny and Ms. Ziegler will lead the children through some ballet stretches and teach a children's dance from our Nutcracker production!
Dine or shop at one of our Maple Youth Ballet dining patrons and the Maple Youth Ballet will receive 15% of your total bill:
Our dining patrons are located near the theater in the Orchard Hills Village Center website at the NW corner of Portola & Culver in Irvine.
Tickets are only $28|$22 for adults and $22|$18 for children 12 & under and seniors 65+.
All performances feature assigned seating. Most performances sold out last year—buy tickets early to ensure the best seat selection! View the theatre's seating chart
Special Family Rate on Monday & Tuesday: Tickets for Monday & Tuesday evening are at a reduced rate of $26|$20 for adults and $20|$16 for children & seniors.
Become a Maple Youth Ballet Patron! Purchase our Patron tickets for our Saturday 7pm performance for $50 per person and get the best seats in the house in the Center Main rows D-G. Proceeds will help underwrite our Nutcracker production.
Ticket Availability Update:
Center Main and Left/Right Main are SOLD OUT for all performances except for Saturday 7pm. Good seats remain available in the Mezzanine section which offer an excellent view of the stage!
Online ticket sales for each performance will end at 7am on the day of the performance. Tickets will be available at the door. But come early to avoid waiting in long lines and to ensure your seats for the performance! The theatre box office will open beginning one hour before the performance.
Purchased Tickets Available for Pick-Up: Purchased tickets will be held at the theatre's Will Call window on the day of the performance, beginning one hour before the performance.
Group Discounts Available: Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a 10% discount for our Saturday or Sunday performances. (Patron tickets are excluded from group discounts.) Contact our Box Office for more information.
Download our Ticket Order Form (pdf)Contact the Maple Youth Ballet Box Office at 949-660-9930 or by email at boxoffice@mapleconservatory.com.
