From the SF Chronicle.
Quote:
REVIEW
Ronn Guidi revives 'Nutcracker,' sealed with a kiss
Michael Wade Simpson, Special to The Chronicle
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Truly heartwarming holiday stories are as rare as really good "Nutcracker" productions, but the Paramount Theatre in Oakland was home to both over the weekend. Impresario Ronn Guidi not only saved a 34-year tradition from the dustbin of dance history, he has put on a "Nutcracker" that packs more emotional wallop and kid-friendly charm than the megaproduction playing across the bay.
Advertised as "Ronn Guidi's Nutcracker," this is actually Oakland Ballet's "Nutcracker." Guidi and the company were one and the same until his retirement in 1998, after which things began to fall apart, for a variety of reasons, and Oakland Ballet officially died. Last year, Guidi purchased the entire treasure trove of costumes and sets from the company he founded in 1965, raised the money to hire dancers, musicians from the Oakland East Bay Symphony and rent the Paramount, and even found a corporate sponsor, Chevron, which offered to help fill the house with hundreds of local families.
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