At Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Dracula stalks the halls and Clara from “The Nutcracker” might not be the most popular girl at the dance anymore.

In May, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” saw record ticket sales and even earned a comparable audience satisfaction score to the fabled “Nutcracker,” which in turn has also drawn record attendance in recent years.

You go, Dorothy.

Nevertheless, ballet companies around the country are facing the same difficulties as other performing arts organizations such as theaters, symphonies and operas. Inflation has driven up costs, and ticket revenues aren’t keeping pace.

Attendance has been fickle, and many organizations have had to rely on donations — as they always have — to an even greater extent.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

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