THE SAVANNAH DANSE THEATRE (SDT) and the Savannah Danse Theatre Orchestra perform their annual locally-themed version of the classic ballet The Nutcracker this Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Lucas Theatre.
We talked with SDT Director Suzanne Braddy about how the math breaks down for this year’s Nutcracker in Savannah, which sets the ballet in Victorian era Savannah and puts much local lore and history into the storyline.
The accompanying photos are of last year’s SDT production.
71 — Total number of cast members in this year’s The Nutcracker in Savannah
28 — Number of musicians in the Savannah Danse Theatre Orchestra (Terry Moore, Concertmaster)
1— Number of conductors (Mary Woodmansee-Green, who also conducts of the Hilton Head Orchestra)
4 — Number of special appearances (Stratton & Mary Leopold play —what else? — owners of Leopold’s Ice Cream in all performances, and Jamie and Bobby Deen appear in both matinees)
7 — Number of scenes in The Nutcracker, in two acts
4 — Number of prop ‘ice cream cones’ in the Leopold scene
800 — Number of area schoolchildren who’ll see each of two special school performances Thursday and Friday morning
24 — Number of singers in the St. John’s Girls and Boys Choir, which sings during the ‘Snow’ scene (Brian J. Taylor, Choirmaster)
4 — Number of pas de deux (‘steps for two’) in The Nutcracker
At least 7 — Number of lifts in the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ pas de deux
9 - Number of ‘Savannah Crackerjacks’ baseball players in the Mother Ginger scene
12 — Number of soldiers in the big battle scene
At least 32 — Number of rehearsal hours for each member of the Nutcracker cast
At least 64 — Number of rehearsal hours for each member of the Savannah Danse Theatre company, who dance the principal roles
2 — Number of combined rehearsals of dancers and orchestra (musicians and dancers spend weeks learning their parts separately beforehand)
6 — Number of IATSE Local 320 stagehands behind the scenes at the Lucas helping to put on the show
$50,000 — Cost to put on Savannah Danse Theatre’s yearly production of The Nutcracker
Zero — Number of other local productions of The Nutcracker with a live orchestra 
SDT’s The Nutcracker in Savannah Savannah happens at the Lucas Theatre Sat., Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30, $24 and $16, available now by calling 912-525-5050 or online at www.scadboxoffice.com.
