Photo Flash: First Look at Chase Brock's Adaptation of THE NUTCRACKER at Flat Rock Playhouse!

Prepare to experience The Nutcracker like never seen before as Flat Rock Playhouse, in partnership with Pardee Hospital and Pardee Hospital Foundation, presents the world premiere of The Nutcracker, adapted by Chase Brock from E. T. A. Hoffman's story The Nutcracker and The Mouse King onstage now through December 22 at Playhouse Mainstage. This new interpretation of the holiday all-dance classic is choreographed by Playhouse YouTheatre alum Chase Brock, choreographer of the Broadway hit, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production in the photos below!

Chase Brock is an American choreographer working in theater, modern dance, ballet, opera, television, film and video games. Brock began his career as a dancer at 16 in the original cast of Susan Stroman's Broadway revival of The Music Man, and assisted choreographers and directors Ann Reinking, Kathleen Marshall, Tina Landau and Robert Wilson on and off Broadway before becoming a choreographer.

For Broadway, Brock is the choreographer for Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark (with music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge) and this season's revival of William Inge's Picnic (Roundabout Theatre Company, directed by Sam Gold). His Off-Broadway credits include The Blue Flower (Second Stage, Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography), Lost in the Stars (City Center Encores!, dir. Gary Griffin). Regional: Pippin (Kansas City Rep, dir. Eric Rosen), A Little Night Music (CENTERSTAGE, dir. Mark Lamos), Shenandoah (Ford's Theatre, dir. Jeff Calhoun).

Brock's Opera choreography includes Bartlett Sher's production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (Salzburg Festival), starring Nino Machaidze and Rolando Villazón (available on DVD from Deutsche Grammophon), then Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala. His video game choreography includes Ubisoft's worldwide bestseller Dance on Broadway for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move, and television and film choreography includes "Late Show with David Letterman" (CBS), "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NBC), "Broadway Under the Stars" (CBS), the Joan as Police Woman music video "Eternal Flame," and the musical Clear Blue Tuesday.

The production will feature new musical arrangements by Emmy award winning conductor and musical director, Rob Berman. Berman will adapt Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker score and write new arrangements for Brock's production. Berman received Emmy nominations in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for his music direction of "The Kennedy Center Honors" on CBS, going on to win the award in 2012. The orchestra for the newly adapted version of The Nutcracker by Chase Brock will feature: Rob Berman (piano, conductor, orchestrator) with Jim Anthony (clarinet), Paul Babelay (percussion), Amy Brucksch (classical guitar), Woody Dotson (trumpet), Daniel Iannucci (bass), Beryl Lemmons (flute), Wes Parker (sax), Mariya Potapova (violin), and Eric Scheider (cello).

Experience for the first time, the fun of The Nutcracker, featuring Gerald Avery, Arielle Campbell, Josh Christopher, Jan Javier, Willis Johnston, Alexandra Lyons, Bradford Rahmlow, Kevin Santos, Macy Sullivan and Micki Weiner - dancers from The Chase Brock Experience (Brock's Brooklyn-based contemporary dance company) as well as from international Theater Productions and dance companies (including Disney's Mary Poppins, Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out, In the Heights, Kansas City Ballet, Cirque du Soleil and MOMIX), along with local Flat Rock performers Lauren Rogers Hopkins and Andrew Hampton Livingston. In addition to the professional performers, 22 of The Playhouse's own YouTheatre students will also be featured in the production: Molly Bailey, Margaret Butler, Victoria Cambron, Jesse William Capps, Maggie Conner, Louise Cummins, Miriam Cummins, Marie Danos, Lily Goff, Emily Holbert, Nicolas Hopkin, Raja Jalernpan, Ryan Jalernpan, Hannah McCullough, Casey Mentch, Sheridan Mentch, Sarah Grace Paul, Clancy Penny, Samantha Penny, Polly Phillips, Ella Riddle, Luke Umphlett, and Kara Hope Waldbart.

In addition to Chase Brock (adaptation, director, choreographer) and Rob Berman (arrangements, orchestrations, musical director), the creative team for this new adaptation includes costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, Tony award winner for her costumes for Disney's Beauty and the Beast; scenic design by Dennis C. Maulden; lighting design by Stephen Terry; sound design by Bryan Delaney; audio recording by Robert George at Sound Temple Studio in Asheville and mix engineering by Nick Kourtides; projections by James W. Johnson; and properties and set dressing by Paul Feraldi and Ricky Hesson. The team also includes Janine McCabe as assistant costume designer; Josh Christopher as associate director and choreographer; Micki Weiner as assistant choreographer and dance captain; and Lindsey Moss as stage manager. Theatrical and whimsical, this re-imagined and totally original version of The Nutcracker is sure to become a new holiday tradition for families to enjoy.

For tickets, performance schedule and more information, go online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org. Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage is located at 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC.

Photo Credit: bluebendphotography.com