Holmes Center Brings The Nutcracker to New Stage

Holmes Center for the Arts announced on November 23 that it will present The Nutcracker at its own new theater stage, a move organizers say completes a long term plan to anchor holiday arts programming in Holmes County. Under the direction of dance director Abi Besse, and with involvement from Shannon Olsen, HCA executive director, the production will present Tchaikovsky's score along with choreography and costumes that organizers describe as beautiful. The Center Stage at Holmes Center for the Arts, located at 5200 State Route 39 west of Berlin, will host performances from December 4 through December 8.

Performances are scheduled for Thursday, December 4 at 6 p.m., Friday, December 5 at 6 p.m., Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m., Sunday, December 7 at 2 p.m., and Monday, December 8 at 6 p.m. Ticket prices at the time of publication are $18 for adults and $15 for students. Readers are directed to the HCA website for tickets, and organizers have indicated they expect strong local interest and quick ticket sales.

The cast is drawn largely from homegrown talent, including students and alumni who trained at HCA, and HCA teachers have played major roles in preparing performers and leading sequences. That local pipeline matters for community engagement and arts education. For families, the production offers a chance to see children and young adults from Holmes County on a professional stage, reinforcing the role of local arts training in youth development.

Beyond the cultural value, the production has implications for the local economy. Presenting a full production on a permanent, state of the art stage keeps more spending local, including box office receipts, concessions, and ancillary spending at nearby restaurants and shops. Organizers expect quick sales, which would concentrate economic activity in the first week of December and could provide a modest seasonal boost for businesses that serve theater audiences.

The theater itself represents a capital investment in county cultural infrastructure. Staging The Nutcracker at HCA for the first time after years of presenting at other venues signals a maturation of local arts capacity. Over time, a reliable annual holiday production can help position Holmes County as a destination for regional audiences, spreading the benefits of cultural tourism and encouraging continued support for arts programming.

Practical details and ticket purchases are available on the Holmes Center for the Arts website. With local performers and an inaugural run on its new stage, the production aims to blend holiday tradition with renewed investment in community arts.