“The Huntington Nutcracker” will be performed with a twist on the classic this weekend at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.
Instead of taking place in Russia, the play has been revamped with it taking place in 1955 in downtown Huntington at the historic Anderson-Newcomb building, now the Marshall Visual Arts Center.

James Morris, director of theatre facilities at Marshall, said it’s a big childhood memory that a lot of people can identify with.

“I didn’t live in Huntington in 1955, but there were a lot of people that remembered the spectacular Christmas display, how fun it was to go shopping downtown and how everyone anticipated the arrival of Santa Claus at the Anderson-Newcomb building,” Morris said.

“The Huntington Nutcracker” is based on a story of a young girl who gets lost and separated from her family and friends on the day Santa Claus arrives at the building, she is then locked in a store where she meets the Nutcracker prince and gets to visit all the phenomenal characters.

The performers range from Marshall students, to community students who are a part of the program and a number of guests artists.

“It kind of draws from all of Huntington and brings them together,” Morris said. “It’s a good community-university relationship.”

Maria Loudermilk, director of Huntington Dance Theatre who is both a choreographer and a dancer for the show, said this is an enjoyable way to educate the youth about Huntington, it’s history and why revitalizing the downtown area is so important.

“From the time I was a little girl, being on the stage has always helped me feel more alive, particularly more in tune with my emotions,” she said. “Nothing is more nervously exhilarating than waiting in the wings to step out there.”

The show times are Dec. 9 at 8 p.m., Dec. 10 at 8 p.m., and Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the performance are $15 for Marshall students and $20 for non-Marshall students. They are available in the box office located in the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse.

Kessyl Lim can be contacted at [email protected].