Jump into ‘Nutcracker’ season all across SoCal

IN 1892, COMPOSER Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa debuted “The Nutcracker,” a two-act ballet about a young girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker for Christmas.

- BY ASHLEY LEE

When the doll magically comes to life, Clara sets out on an extraordinary journey, meeting gingerbread men, tin soldiers, a Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairy along the way. The toy-filled fairy tale, based on Alexandre Dumas' retelling of the E. T. A. Hoffmann short story, has since become an end-of-year must-see from ballet companies, oftentimes offering their own versions of the holiday adventure with standout sets, unique choreography and imaginative interpretations of the narrative and score. For many Angelenos, the family-friendly spectacle is now an annual yuletide tradition, and a chance for children to experience ballet live for the first time. The Times has rounded up 15 “Nutcracker” productions making their way through Southern California this season:

‘NUTCRACKER! MAGICAL CHRISTMAS BALLET’This 80-plus city tour offers a distinct blend of classical ballet with avant-garde circus techniques and global influences, complete with 10-foot-tall animal puppets constructed by Roger Titley. For its 33rd year on the road, the production adds a new character: Sweets the Dog, created by Barry Gordemer of the award-winning puppeteer studio Handemonium.

ANAHEIM BALLET’S ‘NUTCRACKER’This city’s resident ballet company has been staging the holiday fairy tale for 30 years and counting, with students from the Anaheim Ballet School portraying the young characters. This year the local tradition features new set pieces placed throughout the audience and the addition of “Plaisantes,” or comical characters who serve as entertainers and hosts of the adventure’s Candy-land chapter.