DALLAS -- The Texas Ballet Theater officially moved into the Winspear Opera House in downtown Dallas Friday night with a critically acclaimed production of "The Nutcracker."
The performance, however, was not without controversy.
Artistic director Ben Stevenson's production incorporates a large cast of more than 150, featuring dancers Kaitlyn Potts as Clara and Lonnie Weeks as the Nutcracker Prince.
There are great costumes, too, all set to Tchaikovsky's music.
But there are no musicians in the orchestra pit; the score to this ballet is pre-recorded. The ballet company says this is due to financial constraints.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association is protesting the decision, saying the acoustics of the Winspear are "squandered on canned music."
E-mail gcogill@wfaa.com
