Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, recently announced this season’s lineup of Cannon Dolls for James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker. The iconic holiday show opened last Friday.
Making their debut in the iconic roles this year will be Toronto Raptors Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead, who will appear in the ballet on December 19.
Kudelka’s Nutcracker premiered three decades ago, and Rex Harrington, who created the role of the original Peter/The Nutcracker on that occasion, played the part of the Cannon Doll for opening night on December 5.
Choreographer James Kudelka created his version of The Nutcracker with a difference, and incorporated a number of surprising moments into the ballet. One of them is the appearance of a couple of famous faces during the Battle Scene in Act I. As the cats and mice go to war, the Cannon Dolls appear in the middle of the action.
About midway during Act I, a company dancer fires a cannon filled with confetti into the audience, which sets off the battle between The Nutcracker and the Mouse Tsar. While the two Cannon Dolls are dressed almost identically as colourful Petroushka dolls, their characters differ. One is shy and timid, while the other is full of swagger and pride.
It’s up to the Cannon Dolls themselves to come up with their behaviours and movements, other than the basic placement and characters they’re given.
Canadian and local celebrities have taken on the colourful roles from the ballet’s premiere in a tradition that goes back to an earlier version of the ballet — Celia Franca’s Nutcracker, which premiered in Quebec City in November 1955. In Franca’s version, celebrities performed the roles of Stretcher Bearers.
The Cannon Doll lineup for 2025 includes: CBC Q host Tom Power and Arkells frontman Max Kerman, Olympic Ice Dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, Wynton McManis and Damonte Coxie of the Toronto Argos, Chris Boushy and Challen Rogers from the Toronto Rock, Toronto AFC’s Victoria Pickett and Sarah Rollins, Canadian Women’s Rugby players Brittany Kassil and Taylor McKnight, Toronto Star reporters Joshua Chong and Victoria Gibson, Sirius XM Radio Hosts Allison Dore and Victor Bibby aka DJ Frank Vinatra, TSN Football Analyst Davis Sanchez and host Kate Beirness.
The longest serving Cannon Doll, Global TV’s Susan Hay, returns for her 23rd year. She will appear with anchor Antony Robart.
The National Ballet also invites colleagues in the Toronto arts and dance community, and community partners, to take part in the production as Cannon Dolls. This season, that includes members of DanceWorks, Hart Dance, dance immersion, Surrey Place, York South Family Network and West Neighbourhood house.
Barnes and Shead aren’t the first Toronto Raptors to take on the role. Past seasons have seen Kyle Lowry and Matt Thomas don the Cannon Doll costumes, along with a number of athletes that include Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and former Leafs Winger Mitch Marner, Olympic Gold Medalist Figure Skater Tessa Virtue, and Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Summer McIntosh.
Among the 1,378 Canadian personalities that have been invited to appear in the role over the decades, other celebrities who’ve been Nutcracker Cannon Dolls have included actors Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Graham Greene and Sarah Gadon, astronaut Chris Hadfield, comedian Rick Mercer, authors Carley Fortune and Emma Donoghue, and musician Brendan Canning.
Since 1995, more than 1.3 million people have attended 672 performances of Kudelka’s imaginative take on Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. The production includes spectacular designs by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton.
The National Ballet of Canada’s Nutcracker continues until December 31. Remaining tickets are limited, with many dates offering only single seats.
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