The grand opening of the Golden State Ballet’s Nutcracker and other live events were postponed due to the untimely spike in COVID cases. NBC 7’s Kelvin Henry reports.
The Golden State Ballet company brings the popular show to San Diego with the help of over 100 staff members on board bringing the seven live shows to life.
“We have the incredible holiday tradition of the Nutcracker,” Golden State Ballet Artistic Director Raul Salamanca said.
“So, we started rehearsals all the way back in September with the children and the company started working in October, so it takes about 10 weeks for the company to be ready and about 12 to 13 weeks for the students, so you’re talking about a 3-month period just to be ready to go,” Salamanca said.
Saturday’s grand opening comes after a two day delay due to a positive COVID-19 test within the company.
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“We unfortunately did have a positive Covid test result on Thursday morning and decided to put the brakes on the performances for now, delaying opening until today. Backstage as you see folks milling around, they’ve all got masks on and only while on-stage can remove those masks. We are testing and of course sanitizing backstage as we can,” Golden State Ballet Executive Director Magda O’Neill said.
However, The Golden State Ballet's "Nutcracker" wasn't the only event to be delayed or cancelled. A wave of event cancellations occurred Saturday due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Saturday Night Live did not have a live studio audience because of the latest surge in cases and Radio City Music Hall cancelled the remaining “Christmas Spectacular” shows for this season.
Many public health specialists are urging people to keep safety top of mind, but also say that indoor events can safely be held.
“I think also at the same time, we need to move on with our lives [and] we need to use the tools that work. The vaccinations work, the boosters if you are eligible, and the masks to keep transmission down, but we need interaction with each other as human beings so there has to be a middle road,” Infectious Disease Dr. Christian Ramers said.
The Golden State Ballet staff has implemented numerous safety protocols including mandatory masking and proof of vaccination along with other safety measures.
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The play has seven live shows, ending on Dec. 23.
