With advanced orders and ticket requests for Ballet San Jose's famous BLUE SUEDE SHOES already inundating the box office, Artistic/Executive Director Dennis Nahat has announced an extension of the original production dates and is adding five additional performances to the schedule.
Originally slated to close on March 22nd, the popular ballet featuring 36 original recordings by Elvis Presley will now run through March 25th and will add evening performances on Friday and Saturday March 23 and 24 and matinee performances on Saturday, March 17 and Saturday/Sunday March 24 and 25. Single tickets for all performances will go on sale at 9:00am on Wednesday, January 3rd. To date, only orders for additional tickets from season subscribers have been honored. On Jan. 3rd sales will be open to the general public.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 16 at 8pm (Opening Night)
Saturday, March 17 at 1:30pm and 8pm
Sunday, March 18 at 1:30pm
Thursday, March 22 at 8pm
Friday, March 23 at 8pm
Saturday, March 24 at 1:30pm and 8pm
Sunday, March 25 at 1:30pm (Closing Performance)
MORE INFORMATION...
Get ready to "Shake, Rattle and Roll." Ballet San Jose Presents Dennis Nahat's BLUE SUEDE SHOES, set to the music of Elvis Presley, March 16-25, 2007 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, January 3rd at 9am.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES combines classical dance with classic rock in a one-act ballet danced to 36 master recordings of Elvis Presley's greatest hits. The $1.2 million production features choreography by Dennis Nahat and 280 lavish costumes and 16 sets by award-winning designer Bob Mackie. Since its creation in 1996, the popular ballet has brought the company nearly $7 million dollars in ticket sales--more than any other Ballet San Jose production except THE NUTCRACKER.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES had its world premiere on May 24, 1996 at the State Theatre, Playhouse Square Center, in Cleveland, Ohio. The West Coast premiere was on April 24, 1997 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose, California. It was last performed in April of 2002 in San Jose. It has been seen by millions of viewers on PBS stations across the country and is still one of the Company's most requested pieces. Explains Dennis Nahat, "Everywhere we go, every time I speak at an event...someone comes up and asks me when we will do BLUE SUEDE SHOES again. It is our most requested ballet. People just love it. It resonates with all ages, all types of people. This is one ballet that transcends socio-economic boundaries. It's the story, it's the music, it's the look of the piece. It makes you laugh and cry and hope. You always leave the theatre humming the tunes and feeling good about life."
The story opens in 1950s "Anytown" USA and mirrors the birth of rock 'n' roll through several incidents in Elvis Presley's life. The story is built around three high school buddies who are nearing graduation. We follow them from school to the Hot Dog Drive-In to a farewell party before they are inducted into the army. Once stationed in Germany, the boys are separated.
One loses his girlfriend while away; another boy learns that his mother has died; the third searches for friendship, but finds himself very much alone. Returning home from the service, the boys discover that life has changed dramatically. They are reunited and set out to celebrate at a local nightclub. A fight ensues over an old high school beauty and the boys end up in a sizzling "Jail House Rock". Once released, all of the past characters from their lives join them in the big finale as they go off to seek their fame, fortune and the American Dream...each wearing a pair of blue suede shoes.
As an opener for the March, 2007 performances of BLUE SUEDE SHOES, Ballet San Jose Artistic/Executive Director Dennis Nahat has added Twyla Tharp's BAKER'S DOZEN. First performed in February of 1979, this dance for twelve individual dancers (initially presented as six mated couples) contrasts sharply, in its serenity and simplicity, with the extravagance and free-for-all form that distinguishes the dances of choreographer Tharp. The 14-minute work is danced to music by Willie "The Lion" Smith.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES (and BAKER'S DOZEN) plays March 16-25 at San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in downtown San Jose. Other shows remaining in the season are a Valentine's Weekend repertory program featuring Dennis Nahat's ONTOGENY and the San Jose premiere of Nahat's LE STYLE CLASSIC with the Company Premiere of Lew Christianson's IL DISTRATTO (February 15-18, 2007), and the return of MIDDLE KINGDOM--ANCIENT CHINA, the popular East-Meets-West, full-length work from Nahat and Yong Yao of Chinese Performing Artists of America (April 26-29). Season Mini-Subscriptions are available now from the Ballet Box Office, (408) 288-2800 or by ordering directly from the web site at www.balletsanjose.org. Single tickets for all remaining performances are available starting January 3rd. Prices range from $25 to $78 with discounts for students, seniors and groups. -- www.balletsanjose.org
Posted January 8th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
