UNCSA’s 2023 “The Nutcracker” surpasses ticket and revenue records

The UNCSA 2023 production of “The Nutcracker” set records for attendance and gross ticket sales during its Dec. 7-10 performances at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. UNCSA relocated “The Nutcracker” to the Tanger Center in Greensboro while its home theater, the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem, undergoes a comprehensive renovation.

“The 2023 ‘Nutcracker’ was an unparalleled success for all involved,” said Chancellor Brian Cole, who conducted the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra for the run. “Not only did our students have the unique opportunity to perform before almost sold-out houses in a state-of-the-art venue, but we were able to preserve the ‘Nutcracker’ tradition for our beloved audiences — while forging invaluable connections with new audiences throughout the Triad. I know I had a fantastic time working with our student musicians and being part of the magic each performance. We are so grateful to be able to provide this holiday experience to our community each year.”

There were five public performances and an open dress rehearsal for UNCSA students, faculty, staff and alumni and their families at the Tanger Center. In addition, there was a special performance that was attended by 2,682 schoolchildren from Guilford and Forsyth counties. Most of the school audience consisted of third graders from Title I schools for whom UNCSA offered tickets at no cost.

Altogether, 16,742 tickets were distributed across all performances at the Tanger Center, which has a capacity more than twice that of the Stevens Center. Matinees at the Tanger Center on Saturday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10, nearly sold out.

Total gross revenue, which includes ticket sales and sponsorships, for the 2023 production of “The Nutcracker” was $752,612. Sales and attendance surpassed the last record set in 2019, which included more than twice the number of performances at the Stevens Center (as well as audiences for the Preparatory Dance Program’s “Nutcracker Tea Party” for younger children, which takes place on the UNCSA campus).

Proceeds from “The Nutcracker” support student scholarships at UNCSA.

The UNCSA schools of Dance, Design & Production and Music collaborate annually to produce “The Nutcracker.” The temporary move to the Tanger Center provided students the unique experience of touring, mounting and performing a production in a 3,000-seat, state-of-the-art venue a short distance from UNCSA.

“We were honored to serve as the home for UNCSA’s enchanting production of ‘The Nutcracker’ for the first time,” said Greensboro Coliseum Complex and Tanger Center Managing Director Matt Brown. “We hope that performing on the Tanger Center stage provided a memorable experience for the incredibly talented cast, musicians and students who worked so hard behind the scenes. The response from the entire Triad community was outstanding and we are so pleased with the success.”

Presented for the first time on Dec. 10, 1966, in Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem, the UNCSA “Nutcracker” production has since been reimagined, recreated and refreshed numerous times, including an original film version created during the pandemic in collaboration with the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA.

Mercedes-Benz of Greensboro and Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem were the presenting sponsor of the 2023 production of “The Nutcracker.”

Photos for download available here.

About The Tanger Center

A $94 million, state-of-the-art facility that has transformed downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts venue is home to touring Broadway productions, concerts, Guilford College’s Bryan Series, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra performances, comedy shows and all types of family entertainment. In its remarkable first two years, the Tanger Center has hosted over 745,000 patrons, 391 events and performances, and 146 sold-out shows. Presented with partners Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), the First Bank Broadway Series is one of the nation’s top-selling one-week Broadway series with over 17,300 Season Seat Members. The 3,000-seat venue is managed by the staff of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Visit TangerCenter.com for more information.

About UNCSA

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a top-ranked arts conservatory and America’s first state-supported arts school. The nation’s only public university of five arts disciplines on one campus, UNCSA prepares emerging artists for careers in dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking, and music at the undergraduate through post-graduate levels, as well as through a specialized high school with free tuition for in-state residents. UNCSA provides industry-leading instruction in an inclusive environment where students are encouraged to leverage the arts as a mechanism for change. Interdisciplinary opportunities arising from the unique arts ecosystem on campus at UNCSA prepare artists to enter an evolving global arts and entertainment industry. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, the School of the Arts opened in Winston-Salem (“The City of Arts and Innovation”) in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina System when it was formed in 1972. For more information, visit uncsa.edu.

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