Full Length Musical
Comedy
Farce, Christmas/Holiday, Period
120 minutes (2 hours)
Time Period - 1930s
Settings Of Play - The Park Avenue mansion of Constance Stuffington, NYC, 1933
FEATURES / CONTAINS
Physical Comedy, Play w/ Music
Unit Set/Multiple Settings
Period Costumes
CAUTIONS
No Special Cautions
TARGET AUDIENCE
Appropriate for all audiences
PERFORMANCE GROUP
High School/Secondary, Community Theatre, Dinner Theatre, Professional Theatre, Shoestring Budget, Large Stage, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
Winner! 2002 Newark Star-Ledger's Best Musical of the Year
Winner! 2002 Newark Star-Ledger's Best Book of a Musical
Nominee! 2002 Newark Star-Ledger's Best Score of a Musical
The Marx Brothers played havoc with the worlds of opera and horse
racing. What if they'd had a crack at a ballet company? Billy Van Zandt
and Jane Milmore delightfully answer the question in their comedy with
music - the movie the Marx Brothers never made, but should have. With
book and lyrics by Van Zandt and Milmore, and music by Ed Alton
(and, of course Tchaikovsky), the hilarity ensues when the world's
greatest detective, Felix T. Filibuster comes to the rescue of dowager
patron of the arts Constance Stuffington, whose fortune has been
swindled away. Can opening night of the city's Nutcracker ballet be
saved in time? With physical gags, slapstick comedy, one-liners, puns,
chases, beautiful girls, new musical numbers, and the craziest version
of The Nutcracker you'll ever see! A Night at the Nutcracker is a
musical Christmas farce that’s fun for the whole family.
"Tchaikovsky must be rolling in his grave… with laughter! No one who ever sees this team’s A Night at the Nutcracker is likely to take the actual ballet seriously ever again!” - Two River Times
“One big box of delicious Animal Crackers! This show really makes you believe you’ve just seen one more Marx Bros. movie. The one that was never made, but should have been. Don’t miss this! - Asbury Park Press
“The movie the Marx Bros. never made, but should have! This new musical makes for a zany night! Van Zandt and Milmore have a wintertime perennial with A Night At The Nutcracker. It’s terrific! Perfect holiday fun for the whole family! The best musical of the year! On your Marx, get set, go!!” - The Star Ledger
A Night at the Nutcracker opened at the Brookdale Performing
Arts Center May, 2002. It was directed by Billy Van Zandt & Art
Neill. It was produced by Jack Ryan and Jill Zupanzic in Association
with the Student Life Activities Committee.
