'The Nutcracker' on screen coming to Eastwood Field

Screenings in the Eastwood Mall parking lot are scheduled for Dec. 18-20.

October 18, 2020   By: Mahoning Matters staff

Ballet Western Reserve will film then screen "The Nutcracker" at Eastwood Field in December.

YOUNGSTOWN —  The classic ballet "The Nutcracker," normally the Ballet Western Reserve's holiday offering, will be presented in a new way as "A Nutcracker Drive-In" at the Eastwood Field parking area in Niles.

The screenings will take place on Dec. 18-19 at 7:30 p.m and on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. 

Tickets cost $45 per car and will go on sale on Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the BWR website.

This family-friendly, socially-distanced event will feature Ballet Western Reserve dancers, specials guests and local celebrities.  

“Our annual Nutcracker performance is so important to BWR not only as a fundraiser, but also as an amazing opportunity for the dancers at BWR to perform a classic ballet for an audience,” said Katie Merrill, BWR executive director, in a news release.

With the likelihood of a traditional "The Nutcracker" presentation in a theater fading as the coronavirus pandemic dragged on, Merrill and the staff and board of directors started to think outside of the box. They decided to produce a locally made movie of the BWR Nutcracker on the Eastwood Mall property.

“So many national musicians and comedians began to produce drive-in productions, and I thought, this is the way to go,” Merrill said. 

Cate Greyjoy, BWR’s artistic director, added that for generations of dancers, "The Nutcracker" is a treasured experience and a space to share months, and sometimes years, of hard work with family and friends. 

“In this unprecedented year we've experienced, highlighted by missed opportunities and lost performances, we hope to give back to both our dance families and the Mahoning Valley," Greyjoy said. 

"If for one weekend we can bolster community morale by hosting a brief escape from reality and sharing the incredible creative efforts of our students and staff, then we've accomplished our goal of bringing greater beauty to our corner of Ohio," Greyjoy said.