Brandon Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker

The magic of the Christmas season is here! Immerse yourself in the wonder of live ballet performance with a ticket to Brandon Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. This imaginative and timeless classic is a fun time for the whole family!

Our production of The Nutcracker opens with several families on their way to a Christmas party held at the Stalhbaum residence. Children and their parents merrily make their way down the road to a festive evening of dance, food, and cheer. The curtain opens and we see the family, Clara, Fritz, and Mr. & Mrs. Stahlbaum, merrily enjoying the evening festivities with their guests. The young girls and boys mischievously play around the warm living room, adult couples join together to dance, and the household maids have a little bit of fun themselves! Soon, the time to give and receive presents is near!

The excitement builds, and in comes a mysterious guest. Who could it be? He moves with a smooth slyness, and covers himself with a long, black cape…it’s Herr Drosselmeyer! With happiness and relief the guests welcome this beloved, but curious uncle into the party.

Drosselmeyer, with his lively personality and fun jokes, entertains everyone with various tricks and magical toys, toys the size of real humans that come to life with the turn of a key! None of these however, compare to the best gift of the evening, a wooden nutcracker soldier, gifted to none other than Clara, the young heroine of our story.

Jealousy for the coveted gift overwhelms Clara’s younger brother, Fritz, who proceeds to try and take the doll from Clara, resulting in a broken toy and broken spirit. With the use of his magic, Drosselmeyer fixes Clara’s prized possession and the party concludes. After a long evening, Clara falls asleep on the living room couch, clutching her precious Nutcracker close to her chest.

BUT, Drosselymeyer’s magic remains even in her sleep! Rats, both big and small, grow to life-sized proportions and frightfully awaken Clara from her dreams. Drosselmeyer shoos the rambunctious rats away, but only for a while, for they return with a vengeance, and ready for war! The Nutcracker, which has now come to life, steps in to fight the hideous creatures and is almost defeated, when at last, Clara lands a war-winning throw at the Rat King and defeats them all!

With a flick of his magical wrist, Drosselmeyer takes Clara’s hand to lead her onto the enchanted sleigh that will take her on an other-worldy adventure through the Land of Snow.

Once in the Land of Snow, Clara is engulfed by snow flurries that seem to dance around her, captivating her attention and swirling through the air with such a soft lightness. She sits in wonder and watches as the Snow King and Queen direct the snowflakes into a symphony of blistery, wintery dancing.

Once complete, Drosselmeyer’s magical sleigh whisks them off into the Land of Sweets, where Clara is welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy, her Cavalier, and their host of small Angels. The Sugar Plum Fairy introduces Clara to a swarm of friendly faces from around the world, all of whom bestow gifts of dance to Clara through her journey. She enjoys various divertissements: Spanish Dance, Arabian Dance, Chinese Dance, Russian Dance, bon bons, Marzipan, the Dance of the Dew Drop Fairy among the Waltz of the Flowers, and finally, the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier!

Once of the fun is done, the welcoming hosts of The Land of Sweets wave their goodbyes and send Clara back to her home. She awakens on the couch in the spot in which she originally fell asleep, left wondering to herself: was it real, or was it all a dream?