Nutcracker Ballet at Stephens Auditorium Tickets

Each year this performance, Nutcracker @ CY is so over the top in professionalism, technique and artistry, I loved the variations this year and so all inclusive of the very young to adult!! It could be Miyoko was looking down on us and gave us her blessing…and said It was very good!! Fantabulous!! Bravo!! May the tradition continue many more years. ????

My daughter and I have been attending Nutcrackers for 15 years. This was our first in Iowa, definitely one of our favorites and ranks high with the Nutcracker at the Duluth DECC and the Russian ballet. The dancers were excellent and the costumes were beautiful. First time watching rockette dancers and Santa in the Nutcracker. So good I wanted to take out my phone and tape it!

The auditorium is very organized with many people on-hand to assist in any way needed! The parking lot attendants were all ready to make sure things went smoothly; even with a 5pm basketball ?? game. If possible, an area to improve would be access to women’s restrooms. ( line gets really long) Well done.

Unfortunately, I did not see the performance. I was told at the door that no purses or bags were allowed. I was told to return to the parking lot and leave the bag in my car, or I would not be admitted. And I was not the only one!!!! IF I would have known in advance of the policy, if it had been communicated, then I would have used my clear bag or I would not have had items with me that could not be left in the cold car. Please communicate venue policies.

Good Venue, didn’t seem like a professional performance but maybe I expected to much. Went on a really long time too.

Performance was excellent! Facility needs some updating; worn carpet, old uncomfortable seats. Entrance and flow need work; get people in and spread out; maybe scan tickets at the various levels going directly into the auditorium. Improve communication of the “no bags/purses” policy. Too many people were having to take their bags back to their cars, and the gentlemen staffer was rude about it.

The show was fantastic. The Iowa Youth Ballet and Robert Thomas dancers did amazing. I loved the professionals they brought in for the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. My whole experience was marred, however, because neither I nor any of my friends had seen anywhere that the venue had a policy banning ALL bags unless they were clear. No purses. No diaper bags. No handbags even. I took my two children to the show. I about cried when I got to the door hauling my 3 year old who didn’t want to walk on the snow and was told I had to go back to the car because I had a diaper bag. I didn’t have a clear bag so that meant I had to take only what I could carry. Which meant that my daughter didn’t have anything to distract her when she lost interest in the show. Sorry for the kid that was crying through the end of the show but I feel it’s on the venue that I couldn’t keep the 3 year old distracted. It also meant that she had to sit in her soaking diaper all through the second act because I couldn’t carry a diaper in with me. If there had been a notice on the site when I bought the tickets, I would have had what I needed in order to make this a pleasant show for all. No notice meant I was struggling.

The tickets are priced too high for this local event. The worst thing at CY Stephens is the restroom situation. The employees had walkie talkies and would inform the long line if another restroom had a shorter line. By the time you travel to it, the line was long. The bathrooms upstairs had 4 stalls each. FOUR. I finally (and a few others) used the men's restroom where there was ONE stall. The bell rang to notify us the second act was beginning and we are still in line! The seating capacity here is 14,356. While this event had nowhere near that many in the audience, the restroom situation was ridiculous. Hate to think what it is at full capacity. Otherwise, this is a nice event venue.

We love it! Go every year. A wonderful tradition. Something new each time. Good for all ages.

Ballet performance was fairly good, not the best or most professional I've seen, lots of small errors by performers that could be seen from the first few rows. Prevented me from becoming immersed in the ballet. Worst issue is Stephens itself and their lack of women's restrooms. For those in the first few rows, by the time you can get to a restroom (have to go up around the back of the auditorium then down to the basement) at intermission the lines are extremely long with no hope of getting through before the performance resumes. Staff tried to assist by taking women by elevator to other floors, but the lines were just as long at other restrooms, leading to more frustration for those that are in need of a restroom. Stephens - maybe convert a men's restroom to another women's? We all know they never have lines.