Every year around Christmas time, Nutcracker productions pop up all over the United States and attending the Nutcracker has become a cherished holiday tradition for millions of families.
The Christmas ballet did not achieve its great popularity until The New York City Ballet first performed George Balanchine’s Nutcracker in 1954. His version, which used the best parts of the original production as well as some new elements including a nephew for Drosselmeyer, became insanely popular in the Big Apple.
Even though Balanchine’s staging is the most well known, his wasn’t the first performance of the Nutcracker in the United States. Staged by its artistic director and Balanchine student Willam Christensen, The San Francisco Ballet performed the Nutcracker 10 years earlier in 1944.
The now well known Christmas story has been published in many book versions including colorful children-friendly ones. The plot revolves around a German girl named Clara Stahlbaum and her coming-of-age one Christmas holiday. In Hoffmann’s tale, the girl’s name is Marie or Maria, while Clara – or “Klärchen” – is the name of one of her dolls.
The best way to experience Tchaikovsky’s ballet is with Nutcracker ballet show tickets.