9. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet
Through January 2, 2022, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker will be performed by the New York City Ballet in the David H. Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is based on Alexander Dumas’ version of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, published in 1816. For the ballet, the novel has been split into two acts; the first introduces the Stalhbaum children, Marie and Fritz, Herr Drosselmeier, and his nephew — transitioning from reality to fantasy with the conclusion of the Snowflake Waltz. During the second act, viewers are fully immersed within the Kingdom of the Sugarplum Fairy in all its splendid glory.Â
With 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands, and more than 125 children in two alternating casts from the School of American Ballet, The Nutcracker’s whimsical choreography is perfectly complemented by Tchaikovsky’s music, Karinska’s costumes, and Rouben Tar-Arutunian’s magical sets. In particular, the ballet’s set features a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from a height of 12-feet to 41-feet and dazzling crystal-shaped snowflakes which are conserved after each performance for reuse. Both acts of the ballet last around 90 minutes and tickets can be purchased online.
