DANBURY - On Saturday, April 8, Danbury Music Centre (DMC) will host its annual grand gala at The Amber Room Colonnade. But this year, the event is all the more special as Danbury Music Centre prepares to mark its 50th Nutcracker Ballet. The April 8 event will celebrate this impressive landmark, and is inviting current and former participants in any aspect of the production to gather and reconnect with friends.

As part of the celebration, DMC will recognize four people who have been a part of Nutcracker for 20 years this season: Artistic Director and Co-Choreographer Arthur Fredric, Costume Designer and Co-Choreographer Lisa Denton, Technical Director Arnold Daley, and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, who has played Mother Ginger.

Newtown resident Dody Flynn has been involved in Nutcracker since the late 1980s. Now associate choreographer and props coordinator, Ms Flynn says Nutcracker has been a family affair for years. She and her husband Herb Flynn, along with their children, Kira and Logan, have played various roles. The Flynns dance along with their cousins Ashlyn, Riley, and Mark Deloughly, Jr, and Brianna and Hanna Linden, as well as Dody's sister Amy Deloughy and her husband Mark Deloughy, Sr.

Nutcracker attracts dancers locally from Danbury, Newtown, Sandy Hook, Bethel, and Brookfield, and as far away as Westchester County and other parts of New York.

Ms Flynn says that her favorite thing about Nutcracker is, "It is a beautiful production full of dancers who have a passion for dance and theater from all around the community. It's a huge family full of love!"

The April 8 gala will include a three-course meal, silent auction, Nutcracker-themed games and activities, and live music by The Norm Hathaway Big Band. Also in attendance will be conductors, musicians, and audience members.

Tickets are $100 for adults, and $35 for high school students and younger attendees when accompanied by an adult. They can be purchased at danburymusiccentre.org or by calling 203-748-1716.

Reservations are requested as soon as possible. For more information, contact Danbury Music Centre at dmc@danburymusiccentre.org or 203-748-1716.

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