Overview
Related
Events
Program
Notes
Multimedia
Parking Alerts
Reviews

Overview

PATRON SPONSORS:
SHERI AND PAUL SIEGEL, AND KATHLEEN G. HENSCHEL

Music by Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker)
Choreography by Mark Morris

Berkeley Symphony Orchestra
George Cleve, conductor

Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir
Robert Geary, artistic director

A swirl of dancing snowflakes...a heartwarming "Waltz of the Flowers"...a hilarious and slightly skewed family holiday party! Be part of this popular Bay Area holiday tradition as Mark Morris's classic The Hard Nut—a retro-modern take on the beloved Nutcracker tale—returns to Zellerbach Hall. The seasonal favorite has enchanted audiences for more than 20 years, and still has the power to delight, with the Washington Post recently calling the production "...something approaching a miracle...The Hard Nut doesn't stop at cleverness and humor. By the work's effortlessly poetic end, all that energy...is resolved in as honest and unsentimental a picture of love as you're likely to find in the theater."

Related Events

Donor Event: Director's Dinner with Mark Morris
Sun, Dec 16, 2012, immediately following the 3pm performance
Alumni House
(Donors of $10,000+)
Each year Cal Performances' Director, Matías Tarnopolsky, hosts an exclusive dinner with a featured artist of the current season, as a memorable expression of thanks to major donors for their leadership support. This is always an extra-special affair and a highlight of the artistic season. At this year's Director's Dinner we welcome Mark Morris, Artistic Director of the Mark Morris Dance Group. You will not want to miss this celebration with the incomparable Mr. Morris, an artist so beloved by Cal Performances' audiences that he needs no introduction.

Donor Event: Donor Intermission
Fri, Dec 14, 7:30 pm
Zellerbach Hall Mezzanine
(Donors of $1,200+)
During select performances throughout the season, Producer's Circle members are invited to join us for complimentary refreshments in our donor lounge, the Zellerbach Room, located on the north side of the Zellerbach Hall lobby. For especially popular events, find us on the Mezzanine at Zellerbach Hall. Donor Intermissions are the perfect place to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine in the company of other Producer's Circle members.

Membership benefits like these are our way of thanking our supporters for their much needed contributions. To find out how you can become a Donor, please call 510.643.8783 or visit our Support section.

Program Notes

Program notes are available online. [PDF]

Multimedia

See what others are saying about The Hard Nut

The Hard Nut: A Look Back

Cal Performances Television Ad

The Hard Nut: Mrs. Stahlbaum Appears

(or here for hi-res .mov/QuickTime file)

Parking Alerts

Parking may be a problem on campus for the 12/15, 12/21 and 12/22 performances due to Cal Men's and Women's Basketball games. Please see our Parking Alert section for more information.

Articles & Reviews

'A crackup: "'The Hard Nut' [is] a gleeful romp with the power to make you laugh in moments when laughter is hard to come by."
— Mary Ellen Hunt, San Francisco Chronicle
Read the entire review >>

'Hard Nut' returns to Berkeley, sharp and funny as ever: "Mark Morris' 'The Hard Nut' is back at Cal Performances...in a finely roasted staging of one of the most successful cartoon parodies of classical ballet around."
— Ann Murphy, Bay Area News Group
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Rich and satisfying: 'The Hard Nut' cracks the mold: Exploding onto the main stage at Zellerbach Hall like the Fourth of July wrapped in black, white, red and green packaging, Mark Morris's The Hard Nut made its triumphant return to Berkeley.
— Lou Fancher, Berkeleyside
Read the entire review >>