American Ballet Theatre to Perform The Nutcracker At The New Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles December 14-23, 2001.

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 8, 2001

Engagement Marks ABT's Return to Los Angeles;

ABT's Engagement is Sponsored by Howard and Roberta Ahmanson

American Ballet Theatre will bring its production of Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker for 13 performances at the new Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California, December 14 to 23, 2001. The engagement will be sponsored by Howard and Roberta Ahmanson. The Nutcracker marks ABT's return to Los Angeles and the beginning of a new performing relationship with The Kodak Theatre, which is set to open in November 2001. ABT will be the first dance company to appear at The Kodak Theatre.

"American Ballet Theatre is very pleased to have been asked to the first ballet company to appear at the new Kodak Theatre," said Louis G. Spisto, Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre. "Between our engagements at the Music Center in Los Angeles, which date back to the early sixties, and our regular appearances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center over the last 13 years, American Ballet Theatre has had a longstanding relationship with Southern California. We believe The Kodak Theatre is particularly well-suited to grand ballet and we anticipate that this engagement will mark the beginning of a strong long-term partnership with this exciting new venue and the Los Angeles community.

"We are extremely grateful to Howard and Roberta Ahmanson for so generously supporting our engagement," said Mr. Spisto. "The Ahmanson's have been extremely good friends to the arts in Southern California and we are delighted they have chosen to bring the magic of The Nutcracker to Los Angeles."

The American Ballet Theatre and The Kodak Theatre join in expressing gratitude to Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, well-known supporters of the arts, for their sponsorship of this important event.

American Ballet Theatre will perform the holiday family favorite, The Nutcracker, at the Kodak Theatre. A seasonal tradition for dance lovers everywhere, The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a young girl with a rich imagination who is presented with a wooden Nutcracker by her Godpapa Drosselmeyer. After an evening of stories and presents, marauding mice threaten Clara's Christmas and she is rescued by the dashing Nutcracker Prince. After the evil Rat King is soundly defeated, Clara and the Prince journey to Spain, Arabia, China and Russia, and finally to the Land of Flowers where she meets the magical Sugar Plum Fairy.

With its famous Grand Pas de Deux, as well as the Land of Snow and the Waltz of the Flowers, The Nutcracker remains one of the most popular ballets in the repertoire. Choreographed by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and set to Tchaikovsky's famous score, ABT's staging features scenery by Paul Kelly, costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge, assisted by Barbara Matera, and lighting by Thomas Skelton and Rui Rita.

The Kodak Theatre

The Kodak Theatre, located adjacent to Mann's Chinese Theatre on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, will be the home of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's annual Academy Awards show. Other than the Academy Awards that take place every March, the Theatre will have a minimum of 150 events per year including touring Broadway, family shows, concerts, ballet, symphony, opera and other special events.

American Ballet Theatre's December 2001 engagement at The Kodak Theatre will be the first dance event in the theatre.

The Kodak Theatre, which is scheduled to open in November 2001, will have a capacity of 3,604 seats, including 20 opera boxes with four seats each on four levels. Owned by the TrizecHahn Corporation, the Kodak Theatre will be operated by LA Venue Management LLC, a division of the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). It has been designed by David Rockwell of Rockwell Associates and is being built by McCarthy Construction.

The Kodak Theatre is part of a new multi-use development owned by the TrizecHahn Corporation which includes the 640 room Renaissance Hotel, the 30,000 square foot Governor's Ballroom, a six screen movie-plex, two nightclubs, 11 restaurants, a day spa and mid- to high-end retail shops.

For more information about ABT, please call 212/477-3030 or visit our website at www.abt.org.