When Thanksgiving and Christmas start to roll around each year, it’s a sure bet that a nutty number of Nutcrackers begin to appear on stages everywhere. It can drive you crackers deciding which Nutcracker to see. Nationally, there are more performances of The Nutcracker at this time of year than there are squirrels in North Texas. Well, maybe we exaggerate. Anyway, here’s a roundup of local productions of the beloved ballet for all the Nutcracker nuts out there.
A LOCAL GUIDE TO THE NUTCRACKER
The Nutcracker is one of world’s great classics. With iconic music by Tchaikovsky and enchanting sets and costumes, this beautiful tale explores the universal themes of love, power and evil and possesses a universal appeal to both young and old.
Who: Chamberlain Performing Arts
When: Friday, November 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday, November 28–29 at 2 p.m.
Where: Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr., Richardson, Texas 75082
Tickets: $15–$100, available online, by phone at 972.744.4650, or at the Eisemann box office
Worth noting: Features New York City Ballet principal dancers Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle
Details: chamberlainperformingarts.org
Who: The Royale Ballet Dance Academy
When: Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Where: Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr., Richardson, Texas 75082
Tickets: $20–$25, available online, by phone at 972.744.4650, or at the Eisemann box office
Worth noting: Features Riley Moyano from Texas Ballet Theater
Details: royaleballet.com
Who: Tuzer Ballet
When: Saturday, December 19, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 20, 2 p.m.
Where: Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr., Richardson, Texas 75082
Tickets: $15–$50, available online, by phone at 972.744.4650, or at the Eisemann box office
Worth noting: 2015 marks the 30th year for the Tuzer production, which the Dallas Morning News called a “lavish, daring production.”
Details: tuzerballet.com
Who: Collin County Ballet Theatre
When: Saturday, December 19, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Where: Heritage High School auditorium, 14040 Eldorado Pkwy., Frisco, Texas 75035
Tickets: $20–$25, available online
Worth noting: Collin County Ballet Theatre also hosts a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea at The Westin Stonebriar in Frisco on Sunday, November 29 and Sunday, December 13.
Details: ccballet.com
Who: The Allen Civic Ballet
When: Saturday, December 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 20 at 2 p.m.
Where: Allen High School Performing Arts Center, 300 Rivercrest Blvd., Allen, Texas, 75002
Tickets: $15–$25; check the Allen Civic Ballet website for sales information.
Worth noting: Live music by the Allen Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. The Allen Civic Ballet also hosts a Tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy at the Hilton Garden Inn in Allen on Saturday, December 5.
Details: allencivicballet.org
Who: The Bolshoi Ballet
When: Sunday, December 20, 12:55 p.m. and Tuesday, December 22 at 7 p.m.
Where: Angelika Film Center Plano, The Shops at Legacy, 7205 Bishop Rd., Plano, Texas 75024
Tickets: Check the Angelika Film Center website for sales information.
Worth noting: Encore filmed performance featuring Bolshoi principals dancers, soloists, and Corps de Ballet, originally screened live in December 2014.
Details: angelikafilmcenter.com/plano
Who: Collin County Ballet Theatre
When: Tuesday–Wednesday, December 22–23, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson, Texas 75082
Tickets: $22–$77, available online, by phone at 972.744.4650, or at the Eisemann box office
Worth noting: Features the Plano Symphony Orchestra and dancers Adiarys Almeida and Joseph Gatti
Details: ccballet.com
Have we missed a local production of The Nutcracker? Let us know by emailing us here.
ABOUT THE NUTCRACKER
In 1891, Peter Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose the music for Alexandre Dumas’s adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Its first performance in 1892 was a complete failure; both critics and audiences disliked it. Since then, The Nutcracker has been the most widely performed ballet in the world. Almost every ballet company from Australia to Europe and Asia to America performs The Nutcracker during the holiday season. How can a ballet that was disastrously debuted and ill-received be one of the most famous ballets today?
Because in 1954, George Balanchine, another world-renowned choreographer, created a new production of The Nutcracker. His choreography breathed new life into the ballet and sparked the attention and imagination of the viewing audience. Any production of The Nutcracker these days is most likely a version based on Balanchine’s. (Source: About.com)
