CANCELED - SUGAR HILL | THE ELLINGTON/STRAYHORN NUTCRACKER

https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2023-2024/sugar-hill-the-ellington-strayhorn-nutcracker/

Unfortunately, the producers of SUGAR HILL | THE ELLINGTON/STRAYHORN NUTCRACKER are unable to present their upcoming performances at City Center at this time. All performances of SUGAR HILL from November 17 – 26, 2023 are cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may cause, and truly appreciate your understanding.

If you have previously purchased tickets, the cost of your ticket(s) will be automatically refunded to the payment method of your original transaction. Please allow a few business days for your refund to process.

Sugar Hill is produced by Hello Entertainment, Dr. Ron Simons, Rob Quadrino, Valencia Yearwood, Willette Klausner, Dr. Yemin (Yuan) McDougal, Nicole Eisenberg, Chinese Performing Arts Production International, Carol Hefren Tillotson, Harris Ferris, Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom/Mary Cossette, Brass Bull Productions, Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc., and Schirmer Theatrical. A. Alyce Claerbaut and Robert Thompson serve as executive producers, and Christian McBride, Mickalene Thomas, and B'in Live are associate producers.

For any questions, email Info@nycitycenter.org or call 212.581.1212.

They previously canceled the first few performance dates, so something must be up, creatively or logistically.

It didn't appear to be selling well at all, whether that's a reason for the cancellation or not. Their money must be close to raised and spent already considering all those co-producers involved.

Hopefully it will play NY at another point considering the talent involved with it.

In my experience canceling & moving tickets due to Covid (which is a little different than your situation) ––

the nonprofits will do everything in their power not to refund you because the money is all going into the same pot. Gift card, credit, consider it a donation, etc. When the commercial productions gave automatic refunds (by necessity), some of the nonprofits made buyers bend over backwards to get their money back. The nonprofit box offices have Managing Directors breathing down their necks; for Telecharge/Ticketmaster, the phone reps don't really care because they have no interaction with the producer.

Problems also arose because some of the nonprofits don't keep the money in Escrow until after the curtain goes down, they just spend it as they get it, which led to massive cashflow problems when months of shows were canceled due to Covid.

It all contributes to the "Nonprofit Industrial Complex" (and we have to remember that nonprofit is just a tax status).

Being that this NUTCRACKER is a commercial production and NYCC is just the venue, that's all just kind of eye-rolly. Glad they're doing auto-refunds for this cancelation, which should be the industry standard.

Updated On: 11/8/23 at 12:51 PM

If I remember correctly, this one had international touring plans in the works. Surprised we haven't gotten a press release. I only knew because my friend is a dancer and lost her job before the holidays (with most Nutcrackers across the US already cast...) Hence why I posted here.

Voter said: "One of the producers just posted a rehearsal video... is this still happening? Just maybe not at NYCC?"

Interesting -- looks like the Chicago engagement is still happening in December:

https://mytickets.auditoriumtheatre.org/4355?queueittoken=e_tnewsafetynet~q_8c42c7fe-47bd-4621-b665-7e90564fbb14~ts_1699918915~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_8a26eb1f930e9bd7db977db60cf1e882b2bc72a2064c85e5bf2037422a8a273c

UWS10023 said: "City Center should give Master Voices a permanent home. The mission statements and their educational outreach are similar."

I am sure NYCC would gladly sign a multi-year rental agreement with MasterVoices for X number of weeks per year if MV came to them with a good proposal. But it doesn't seem that MV (with an operating budget of just $1.9 mil) would be in the position to do that without scaling up fundraising strategy first.

Updated On: 11/13/23 at 10:08 PM