Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) is one of Russia’s most famous and popular composers. Among his renowned works are the scores for The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. In 1891, following the success of their ballet The Sleeping Beauty, the Russian Imperial Theatre director commissioned senior ballet master Marius Petipa and Tchaikovsky to collaborate on a new project based on Alexandre Dumas’ adaptation of Hoffmann’s story The Nutcracker and The Mouse King. It is said that Petipa was very prescriptive with Tchaikovsky which resulted in Tchaikovsky not being entirely happy with the resulting final score. That having been said, he is thrilled to be collaborating with Nancy Holson on this, his first musical.

Original Story
ETA Hoffmann
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (ETA Hoffmann) was the author of the novella on which the Nutcracker ballet and Nutcracker! The Musical are based. He was born in Königsberg, East Prussia in January 1776 and named Ernst Theodor Wilhelm later changing the Wilhelm to Amadeus in honour of Mozart. Hoffmann was a German author of fantasy and horror, a jurist, a composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. He was an influential writer during the 19th century and was a major author of the German Romantic Movement. The stories Hoffmann wrote explored fantasy and reality. Although Hoffmann’s stories were fantasy based he was not himself a Bohemian being a trained lawyer and working as a judge. Hoffmann’s novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was published in 1816.

Book and lyrics
Nancy Holson
Nancy is an Emmy-award winning writer, director and producer whose 25-year career spans the worlds of commercial live theatre, corporate theatre, and television. Nancy wrote, produced and directed the long- running hit show The News In Revue (1992 – 2011), on PBS (5 Emmy Awards), NPR, Off Broadway, the Berkshires and numerous venues from coast to coast. Writer/Director/ and/or Producer - Off Broadway: Bush Wars and Ludwig Live! NYC and Regional: Parenting 101: The Musical, Dear Mom, Can I Really Date A Guy Who Wears A Yarmulke? London: Ludwig Live!. Excited to be launching Nutcracker! The Musical this holiday season at both the Westchester Sandbox Theatre and in London.

Arrangements
Bruce Kiesling, Paul and David Rigano

Bruce Kiesling is an active film composer and conductor. He currently serves as the Music Director of the Tulare County Symphony, the Pasadena Youth Symphony and as Assistant Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His previous conducting positions include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he served as YOLA conductor, working with Gustavo Dudamel on building this El System inspired program from 85 to more than 600 students. In the theatre, he has musical directed in regional theatres throughout the US and for the 5 time Emmy Award winning musical satire revue, The News in Revue.

Paul Rigano is a NYC-based pianist and composer. Like many, he has been a fan of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker since childhood, and is thrilled to be a part of the creation of this new twist on an old favorite. Paul has been studying music since the age of 5, when his big brother started taking piano lessons. Since then, he has been lucky enough to work on countless musical productions in the New York and Chicago areas, working with composers such as Joe Iconis, Nick Blaemire, and Marvin Hamlisch. His favorite work has been his musical collaborations with his brother, David, who is the other half of The Rigano Songbook. Together, they have composed The Holy Cows of Credence, South Dakota (Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2013), and have several upcoming projects. Their work in theatre and cabaret can bee seen at youtube.com/riganosongbook. Much love and gratitude to his incredible wife, Lauren for her continued love and support.

Director
David Rigano
has been involved with Nutcracker! since its initial table read in 2009 and has directed three workshops and a non-Equity production since 2012. He is currently represented on the New York stage with Wild Women of Planet Wongo at Parkside Lounge. Most recently he provided direction and musical staging for Save the Robots in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. He is also co-creator of the hit cabarets "I Ought to Behave" and other Naughty Songs and The Ides of March Extravaganza.

Producer
Amas Musical Theatre
(Donna Trinkoff/Artistic Director)
is New York City’s award-winning pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas (“you love” in Latin) develops and produces original musicals with innovative and diverse perspectives and nurtures emerging artistic talent, and young people in the New York area. Amas is a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, including Broadway and the Bard, starring Len Cariou, Red Eye of Love, The Countess of Storyville, The Other Josh Cohen (Six 2013 Drama Desk Nominations, 2013 Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical); Triassic Parq, Distant Thunder, Casanova, Marry Harry, Me and Miss Monroe, Aesop & Company, Signs of Life, Wanda’s World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Lone Star Love, From My Hometown, Zanna, Don’t!, 4 Guys Named Jose and Stormy Weather: Reimagining Lena Horne,a among others. Amas education programs include the Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, Lens on Live Theatre and in-school theatre arts residencies designed in partnership with elementary, middle, and high schools.
www.amasmusical.org

Producer
Marc L. Bailin
Practicing entertainment, media and corporate law in New York and California for over thirty five years, Marc’s clients have included Meg Ryan, Julianne Moore, L.L. Cool J., best-selling author and video star, Callan Pinckney (Callanetics), playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out) cartoonist Gary Larson (The Far Side) and others. He has served as the Executive Producer of a series of action oriented feature films, including Hangmen (with Sandra Bullock), Covert Action, Shock Troop (with Danny Aiello), Comrades In Arms, The Outfit and Backfire (with Kathy Ireland and Robert Mitchum). Other films include Leave It On The Floor and most recently, Tar Pit. In theatre, he has represented the author E.R. Braithwaite in the recent British stage version of the iconic To Sir With Love, the authors of the Broadway show Brooklyn, and the underlying rights to Casa Valentina (written by Harvey Fierstein). Off-Broadway shows Bush Wars, Parenting:101 and Primetime Prophet and has produced Can I Really Date A Guy Who Wears A Yarmulke? in New York and regionally. He is also a founder and co-manager of W Financial Fund LP.
www.w-financial.com