Alex Theatre

Send DATEBOOK items to Burbank Leader, 221 N. Brand Blvd., 2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91203 or fax to (818) 241-1975. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. ? The city of Burbank Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Burbank Fine Arts Federation present 2007 Holiday Arts & Crafts Boutique through Dec. 13 at the Creative Arts Center Gallery, 1100 W. Clark Ave., Burbank. The boutique will feature pottery, paintings, photography, ornaments, decorations, clothing, jewelry, mosaics and more.

Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is returning to the Alex Theatre, but this year, theatergoers can see three productions of the classic holiday ballet. Dancers from Burbank’s Media City Ballet, The Red Chair Children’s Production Co. and the Los Angeles Ballet are rehearsing their own versions of the famous ballet. About 60 dancers from the Los Angeles Ballet will perform their full-length production on Nov. 29 and 30. “We are constantly making little changes and modifications in the ballet,” said Thordal Christensen, co-artistic director of Los Angeles Ballet.

Zina Bethune is mixing live actors and dancers with video sequences and featuring disabled performers in her multimedia telling of Ray Bradbury’s short story “Frost and Fire.” This combination of media was not popular in her early days as a dancer and actress, said the artistic director, whose background includes dancing with the New York City Ballet, and acting on television in the CBS prime-time series “Nurses” and in Martin Scorsese’s film “Who’s That Knocking at My Door?

An evening of music by composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz could be the start of something big for the Los Angeles City College Theater Alumni and Associates. Record producer Bruce Kimmel, an alumnus of the college Theatre Academy and president of the alumni association, is directing the revue featuring his friends, all performers from Broadway and television, on Monday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The academy in Hollywood provides instruction in all aspects of producing, acting, costumes and technical design, Kimmel said.

Blessed with a sinister countenance, Burbank native Rob Zabrecky uses it to his full advantage in his act as a magician. “There is a Norman Bates quality that I personify on stage; that is what I’ve been told, so there is an unnerving quality to the character,” he said. “Some strange and bizarre things happen in context with that character.” Zabrecky is a regular at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and will perform as part of the pre-show attractions for the Alex Film Society’s two screenings of the 1954 horror movie “Creature from the Black Lagoon” on Saturday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Dancers from the Media City Ballet Company and guest artists will take the stage Saturday at the Alex Theatre for a night of ballet with a Spanish twist, complete with bold costumes, scorching choreography and dramatic music. The program for the “Noche de Sabor” (“Night of Flavor”) performance will include a smorgasbord of ballet, flamenco, salsa and tango sets arranged to music from the likes of Astor Piazzolla, the master of tango, to ballet composer Ludwig Minkus.

Nearly 60 students in Burbank's summer Showcamp sang and sauntered around on stage in Burbank High School's auditorium Friday afternoon. Costumed in animal-print outfits and yellow-spotted dresses, the Whos and Citizens of the jungle Nool sang back and forth from either side of the stage while they practiced for the camp's production of "Seussical the Musical." "It's the biggest show we have ever done in every aspect as far as cast, set," Showcamp director Darrell Bishop said.

COMPETITION WINNERS HIGHLIGHT OF CONCERT The six winners of The Glendale Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition will be featured in the final concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. Each winner will play a movement from a concerto. Carol Joe of Los Angeles will perform the Ibert Flute Concerto. Jerry Joo of La Cañada Flintridge will play the Haydn Cello Concerto. Andrew Marlin of Westlake Village performs the Vivaldi Bassoon Concerto.