A Hopkinsville dance school’s production of the “The Nutcracker” ballet will be the first Alhambra Theatre performance livestreamed to audience members in their homes.
A $15,000 donation from Sisk Honda to the Pennyroyal Arts Council made it possible to install livestreaming equipment in the historic downtown theater. It is an essential upgrade that allows the Alhambra to resume stage performances during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This method of delivery really changes our landscape and relevance,” Margaret Prim, arts council executive director, said in a news release. “We are appreciative of the generosity of the donation and confident that this equipment will be vital in our success for years to come as we build on new platforms of delivery.”
Presented by the arts council and Brooke Bailey Dance Addiction, the opening night presentation of “The Nutcracker” will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15. Tickets to the livestreamed program are available from the arts council for $15, and allow patrons to view the performance on-demand through Sunday, Dec. 20. The Christmas classic is performed in two acts.
In-house tickets for up to 180 audience members will also be available for each performance at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 through 18. Those tickets can be purchased online. As of Monday morning, the arts council said it had limited availability for the opening night and final night performances. There was more availability for the Wednesday and Thursday shows.
The Alhambra has been closed or operating at limited capacity since late March because of state restrictions related to COVID-19.
An executive order signed by Gov. Andy Beshear on Nov. 18 limited audience capacity in theaters to 25 people per room. That restriction will be lifted Monday, Dec. 14, when theaters will be able to operate at 50% capacity.
“Now more than ever we need creative individuals to inspire us, enlighten us, and to bring us together through art,” said Wilson Sisk, President of Sisk Auto Mall. “Sisk Honda is proud to be a small part of bringing us all a little closer together”
The Alhambra upgrade includes commercial-grade cameras, digital console boards and state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment, an arts council representative said. Music Central helped install the equipment.
Originally, the arts council planned to debut livestreaming capabilities with a Nov. 21 Save Our Stage concert featuring musician Casey James, but that was postponed when Beshear implemented the new restrictions in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Assuming there are no other shutdowns, the arts council will start its Live at the Alhambra series with a New Year’s Eve concert.
Shows and dates for the 2020-21 Live at the Alhambra Series are:
- 6 and 9 p.m. Dec. 31 — Jaimee Paul and Leif Shires, New Year’s Eve celebration
- 6 and 8:30 p.m. March 26 — Daily and Vincent
- 4 p.m. April 18 — Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre
- 7:30 p.m. April 22 — Black Violin
- 7:30 p.m. May 14 — Shakespeare in Jazz
- Oct. 2 — The Stylistics (this show was rescheduled from the 2019-20 season)
This story has been updated to include information about purchasing in-house tickets for “The Nutcracker.”
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
