Bidding adieu to 2011 with sparkle, splendour and swing, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) presents Le Casse-noix Moderne – The Modern Nutcracker on Thursday, December 29 at 7:00pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. This delectable holiday treat from Alabama’s Etowah Youth Orchestras and Downtown Dance Conservatory will be seen in its New York City debut for one night only. Composer and arranger Mike Gagliardo and choreographer Linze Rickles McRae’s Casse-noix Moderne is a version of the famous holiday classic like no other — a retrospective of modern music and dance, encompassing every form of popular music from the 1920’s to the present. Featuring selected music from Tchaikovsky’s original, each selection becomes a different style: “Trepak” is a swinging big band number, while the “Sugar Plum Fairy” becomes a soulful ballad; “Mirlitons” turns into a western swing number, while the Overture is straight-ahead rock and roll. Le Casse-noix Moderne enthrals with its original, modern interpretations, maintaining all of the magic and familiarity of the timeless holiday classic.
Tickets at www.dciny.org or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/207839