DIGITAL ART IMAGES ‘THAT BRING WONDER’
An Immersive Nutcracker Exhibit at Zona Rosa is expected to stir up magic like no other cinematic experience this upcoming holiday season.
The new immersive art experience, Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle, will be located on the second floor of The Grove at Zona Rosa beginning Nov. 19.
It’s in the same location where the upcoming Immersive King Tut: Boy, King, Hero, will be featured starting Sept. 16.
Organizers say Lighthouse Immersive has a passion to show audiences magnificent digital art images that inspire and bring wonder. Its popular digital art exhibition, Immersive Van Gogh, was the first to take the spotlight at Zona Rosa this past spring.
“Immersive Nutcracker is an ideal family outing, featuring whimsical animated characters alongside footage of professional ballet dancers. This joyful 30-minute immersive experience is an ideal outlet to introduce young children to the art of ballet and the captivating storytelling that often accompanies it. Set to the sweeping music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Immersive Nutcracker encompasses visitors in over 500,000 cubic feet of projections composed of over one million frames of video, curating a grand immersive display that relays the tale of The Nutcracker from opening to finale,” wrote Michaela Pearce, spokesperson for Lighthouse Immersive.
“The projection features beloved scenes set to their classical scores like ‘The March of the Toys,’ ‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ and more,” she added.
The immersive exhibit is an adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s fairy tale ballet The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. While the original 1892 two-act production choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivano, fell short of being an instant success, its shorter orchestral/concert band piece transformed the holiday season for generations to come.
The Nutcracker became a phenomenon in the United States after it premiered during Christmas time in the 1940s. The classic story continues to open the hearts of those who experience it in its many forms of art, including ballets, films, children’s books, video games, and exhibitions.
The Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle premiered in Toronto last Christmas season and received glistening reviews from Now Magazine and Narcity Media. The Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle uses projection mapping technology to transform The Grove’s surroundings into a “holiday-themed dreamscape” fit for Maire Stahlbaum herself and her beloved toy nutcracker who comes to life to battle the Mouse King. The digital art rendition is designed to share the wonder of this timeless Christmas holiday classic.
“Like so many others, I have grown up with the tradition of enjoying the Nutcracker story,” says Producer Svetlana Dvoretsky. “This production does not replace any of those classics, but it provides a family-friendly experience that pays homage to the story’s ballet roots.”
Audiences will experience five fantasy-filled worlds in the Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle.
“World-renowned ballet dancers Denis Rodkin (principal dancer) and Eleonora Sevenard (leading soloist) perform expert choreography amid the brilliant animations; with young Canadian talents Elizabeth Pivovar and Alexander Marinosyan playing young Marie and her brother Fritz – all surrounding the audience in 360-degree, three-dimensional splendor,” wrote Pearce.
Storywall Entertainment partnered with Toronto-based Lighthouse Immersive to launch the Immersive Nutcracker this holiday season in eleven cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Nashville, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Kansas City. Over the past two years, Lighthouse Immersive has opened or has slated to open two dozen new galleries in North America. Lighthouse Immersive Van Gogh, designed by Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, sold over five million tickets.
Tickets to Immersive Nutcracker start at $29.99 and are available online at immersive-nutcracker.com. Family packs are 10% off per ticket and must be purchased in bundles of four tickets or more. Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle is slated to launch at Zona Rosa on Nov. 19.