Holiday time means Emerging Pictures' affordable Nutcracker is back (yes, it's on film, but think of all those lovely close-ups!)

It's that time of year again, so TrustMovies is updating his most popular holiday-season post from last year -- which was written in part to offset the enormously expensive seats for the two New York productions of the Nutcracker. If you can't get (or afford) tickets for this holiday season to either the New York City Ballet's Lincoln Center Nutcracker (prices appear to range this year from $89 for the rear of the top balcony to $250 for front orchestra) or the American Ballet Theater's Nutcracker at BAM, (prices here, considerably cheaper, range from $15 to $140), then consider an even more affordable filmed alternative that is beautifully produced and shot (in high definition) and can be viewed in comfortable surroundings -- for which you'll pay but $20 for any seat in the house. And that's in Manhattan; the price is lower in many other cities across the U.S.

This coming Sunday, December 9, and again on Sundays, December 23 and 30, Nutcracker nuts (and their children) can indulge them-selves in two complete filmed versions of the famous ballet set to Tchaikovsky's music and danced by two of the world's foremost ballet companies: Russia's Bolshoi Theater (I think that's the Bolshoi's Nina Kaptsova, below) and Britain's Royal Opera House.

Both performances -- via Emerging Pictures' Ballet in Cinema -- take place at one of Manhattan's most comfortable, accessible theaters: Big Cinemas' Manhattan, 239 East 59th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. The Bolshoi performs at 11am this coming Sunday, December 9, with a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes (with one intermission). The Royal Opera House performs Sunday, December 23, at 11 am and again on Sunday, December 30, also at 11am. These performances run  2 hours and 10 minutes, including one intermission. (The Royal Opera House version only can also be seen at the Clearview Chelsea Cinema -- and only on Dec. 23, not on Dec. 30.) 

Tickets for both ballets -- including ultra-comfortable stadium seating, perfect sight lines, lots of close-ups of the performers, and a great sound system -- cost only $20 each. This may be the bargain of the holiday season. Last year my family went to the Royal Opera House production, but yours might prefer the Bolshioi.

As usual, Big Cinemas could use some help with its web site. When I checked there earlier today, I found that only the 11 am Royal Opera House Nutcracker was listed and only for Dec. 23. But I am assured that tickets are available as of now for both the Royal Opera House and Bolshoi productions.  These Ballet in Cinema offerings, by the way, take place over our entire country (and beyond: Emerging Pictures is internationally known). Click here -- then enter your zip code or city/state -- to learn how you, too, can view them.

The second and fourth photos from the top 
are from this year's Royal Opera House production 
of The Nutcracker (photos by Johan Persson);
the first and  third photos are from the Bolshoi production.  

Balletomane alert! Emerging Pictures' 2011 season of BALLET IN CINEMA is underway

If you're a ballet lover but cannot travel to the world's far corners to catch all the best companies, don't worry: Emerging Pictures is there for you. That interesting company, who recently brought us the series of new independent British cinema, From Britain With Love, is currently in the midst of its 2001 season. Although The Paris Opera Ballet and its production of Children of Paradise (shown above) and the La Scala Ballet's Mediterranea program have now both presented their final screenings, there remain some fine programs to be seen in this series -- from Russia's Bolshoi Ballet and Britain's Royal Ballet.

My ex-wife and I caught the final Children of Paradise program last Sunday here at Manhattan's Big Cinema (a lovely venue for this series, by the way) and were pleased to find it such a pleasant experience. The camerawork was excellent, alternating nicely between long shots that featured the whole stage, with accent on bodies in motion, and close-ups in which you could see the dancers much better than you ever could from any large auditorium. (And with attractive lead dancers like Mathieu Ganio, shown below (as Baptiste), and Isabelle Ciaravola, at right, (who danced Garance), the close-ups were particularly enjoyable. The sound, as well, was excellent, though I found the music for this ballet (by Marc-Olivier Dupin) rather rote.

This is a yearly event from Emerging Picture (Children of Paradise was co-presented by Pathe Live), so if you want to learn more about this series, click here; to see the upcoming programs, click here; and to place yourself on Ballet in Cinema's mailing list, click here.