The Nutcracker in a Town Near You
Because The Nutcracker is performed in almost every major (and not-so-major) city, finding a performance near you isn't a very challenging task, thanks to the Nutcracker Ballet Show Directory. However, if you would like to attend a performance, you may want to act fast in getting your tickets. I know first hand many church, school, office, and social groups like to buy these tickets in bulk in advance. Like I said, it makes for a great annual tradition.
The History of The Nutcracker
In 1891, world renowned choreographer, Marius Petipa commissioned Peter Tchaikovsky to compose the music for Alexandre Dumas’s adaptation (read The Nutcracker synopsis) of E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” But when Petipa became ill, his assistant, Lev Ivanov, was appointed to replace him. Its first performance in 1892, was a complete failure – its critics and audience hated it. However, since then, The Nutcracker has been the most widely performed ballet in the world. Almost every ballet company from Australia to America performs the The Nutcracker during the holiday season. The reason being, in 1954, George Balanchine, another world renowned choreographer, created a new production of The Nutcracker. If you’ve seen it, it was most likely a version based on Balanchine’s. Sadly, Petipa didn't live to see the success of this fantastic ballet. He died less than a year later in 1893.
