SF Ballet's Nutcracker will have to go virtual this year

SAN FRANCISCO - With live theatres closed for several months, some of the Bay Area’s favorite holiday performances have gone virtual this year because the show must go on, even in a pandemic.

Kelly Tweeddale, Executive Director of the SF Ballet, said they were the first company in the United States to bring the Nutcracker as a tradition. In an effort to keep that tradition alive, SF Ballet chose to reinvent the performance. A 48-hour steam for just under $50 gives viewers a virtual experience with activities built around a previously recorded performance.

“You can open the program book and go through it, try on different costume elements, and you can go inside and hear motifs played by the orchestra,” Tweeddale said.

While the virtual experience takes viewers inside San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, in reality, it and other city theatres sit empty. John Caldon, Managing Director of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, said the pandemic has had a huge impact on the arts.

With local theatres closed and performances cancelled, the pandemic has impacted everything from loss of tourism to loss of jobs.

“It’s a really wide reaching impact that has impacted about 38,000 employees in San Francisco alone,” Caldon said. “It’s been incredibly devastating for everyone who works in this industry and loves this industry.”

Smaller theatres like Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek have also taken a hit. General Manager Scott Denison said the Lesher Center is the main economic driver for Walnut Creek’s downtown area. This year they had $5 million cut from their budget.

“We had 40 to 50 people working as actors, carpenters, designers and technicians and I’ve been able to retain five,” Dension said.

He resisted going virtual, at first, but soon realized live performances wouldn’t return anytime soon.

“There’s nothing like a live theatre experience and being the optimist, I always thought we’d be back,” he said.

Lesher’s annual performance of “A Christmas Carol” launched online this week as a fundraiser. A streaming performance is available for 72-hours for $100.

“Is it the live experience? No. But it’s the next best thing,” he said.

Denison said he’s eager for the company to return to live performances, but knows it will be some time before that happens. He said they will likely bring back outdoor performances first before moving indoors once again.

Caldon estimates theatres returning possibly in mid-2021, but said he would continue following the guidance of city leadership and science. Until then, he suggests people consider a donation to their local venue.

“We really need to give back to them now if we want them to be there for us later,” Caldon said.

Tweeddale said the SF Ballet would be the last to return to the stage because of the current COVID-19 restrictions in place. In a normal year, 80,000 people would have come to the Nutcracker, but 2020 is anything but normal.

SF Ballet said they kicked off the virtual season with 1,800 purchases of the stream. The holiday tradition lives on in an untraditional way.

“Being able to re-create it in a new way has been really great for us because it allows us to reach a broader scope of people throughout the world,” Tweeddale said.

For more information and tickets: SF Ballet's Nutcracker Online