In 1816, E. T. A. Hoffman published The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, a scary fairy-tale intended only for adults. Years later, Alexander Dumas wrote another version of the story that made it happier and more appropriate for children to read. Marius Petipa, chief ballet master of the Russian Imperial Ballet, liked this new story and decided to have it made into a ballet. He commissioned Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky to write the music. Petipa’s assistant Lev Ivanov created the choreography. The production was first performed in December 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Although the original production was not a success, the twenty-minute suite that Tchaikovsky extracted from the ballet was. However, the complete Nutcracker has enjoyed enormous popularity since the mid-20th century and is now performed by countless ballet companies, primarily during the Christmas season. Tchaikovsky’s score has become one of his most famous compositions, in particular the pieces featured in the suite.
The Story
It’s Christmas at the Stahlbaum home. There is a huge tree, and many guests arrive to celebrate with the family. Clara’s godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, makes magical toys. He entertains the guests with two life-sized dolls that dance around the room. Then he gives gifts to the children, and gives Clara a very special gift of a nutcracker. Her brother, Fritz, is jealous, and grabs the nutcracker and it gets broken! Clara is very upset, so Herr Drosselmeyer repairs the doll with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air.
It’s Christmas at the Stahlbaum home. There is a huge tree, and many guests arrive to celebrate with the family. Clara’s godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, makes magical toys. He entertains the guests with two life-sized dolls that dance around the room. Then he gives gifts to the children, and gives Clara a very special gift of a nutcracker. Her brother, Fritz, is jealous, and grabs the nutcracker and it gets broken! Clara is very upset, so Herr Drosselmeyer repairs the doll with a handkerchief he magically draws from the air.
Soon after, all the guests leave and the children go to bed. Clara gets up in the night and goes downstairs to get her nutcracker from under the tree. She falls asleep there, and is transported into Christmas fantasy where her nutcracker has grown to the size of a human. When the Mouse King attacks, the Nutcracker Prince tries valiantly to defend young Clara, but is struck down in the battle. Clara in turn saves her Nutcracker Prince by throwing her shoe at the Mouse King and defeating him.
In the Kingdom of Sweets, Clara and the Prince behold the wondrous beauty of the Sugarplum Fairy. She invites the couple to stay for a while and enjoy the entertainment of her subjects. Clara and the Prince watch in awe as the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Sweets dance before them.
When the dancers are finished, Clara and her Prince sail home in a magic sleigh made of ice and candy. On Christmas morning, Clara wakes under the tree holding her nutcracker doll.
Our Production
This production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker has been a holiday favorite for the community since 1990! It is among the longest running productions in the city of Casa Grande. Over the years this wonderful tradition has gathered together some of the great figures in the local theatre history.
While the search continues for a permanent home for future productions, the magic continues with this year's production of The Nutcracker.
Behind the Scenes
The Nutcracker 2011 is entirely produced by the Casa Grande Drama Booster Club, Inc. For more information about this organization, please visit our About Us page.