Although the original 1892 Marius Petipa production was not a success,

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most pop ...

's ballet ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...

'' began to slowly enjoy worldwide popularity after Balanchine first staged his production of it in 1954.Fisher, J. (2003). ''Nutcracker Nation: How an Old World Ballet Became a Christmas Tradition in the New World'', New Haven: Yale University Press. It may now be the most popular ballet in the world. In Russia, choreographer

Alexander Gorsky Alexander Gorsky (August 6, 1871 – 1924), a Russian ballet choreographer and a contemporary of Marius Petipa, is known for restaging Petipa's classical ballets such as ''Swan Lake'', ''Don Quixote'', and ''The Nutcracker''. Gorsky “sought grea ...

staged a new version of the work in 1919 that addressed many of the criticisms of the original 1892 production by casting adult dancers in the roles of Clara and the Prince, rather than children. This not only introduced a love interest into the story by making Clara and the Prince adults, but provided the dancers portraying Clara and the Prince with more of an opportunity to participate in the dancing. The first complete performance outside Russia took place in England in 1934, staged by

Nicholas Sergeyev Nicholas Grigoryevich Sergeyev (1876–1951) (russian: Никола́й Григорьевич Серге́ев, variously written in the Latin alphabet as Nicholas or Nikolai Sergeev, Sergueev or Sergueeff etc.) was a Russian ballet dancer, cho ...

after Petipa's original choreography. An abridged version of the ballet, performed by the

Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo (with a plural name) was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil (usually referred to as Colonel W. de Basil), and its ...

, was staged in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

in 1940 by Alexandra Fedorova - again, after Petipa's version.Anderson, J. (1985). ''The Nutcracker Ballet'', New York: Mayflower Books. The ballet's first complete United States performance was on 24 December 1944, by the

San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Fra ...

, staged by its artistic director

Willam Christensen Willam Farr Christensen (August 27, 1902 – October 14, 2001)Was born Christian William Christensen, until his mother changed his name to William Farr Christensen, to include her maiden name. As a professional dancer in San Francisco, Christensen ...

. The

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

gave its first annual performance of George Balanchine's staging of ''The Nutcracker'' in 1954. The tradition of performing the complete ballet at Christmas eventually spread to the rest of the United States. Since

Vasili Vainonen Vasili Ivanovich Vainonen, also spelled Vasily (russian: Васи́лий Ива́нович Вайно́нен) (1901-1964), was a renowned Ingrian Soviet choreographer, mainly for the Kirov Ballet, now known as the Mariinsky Ballet, with which h ...

's 1934 version in Russia, and Balanchine's 1954 New York City Ballet production, many other choreographers have made their own versions. Some institute the changes made by Gorsky and Vainonen respectively while others, like Balanchine, utilize the original libretto. Some notable productions include those by

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...

for the

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

Yuri Grigorovich Yury Nikolayevich Grigorovich (russian: Ю́рий Никола́евич Григоро́вич; born 2 January 1927 in Leningrad) is a Soviet and Russian dancer and choreographerBolshoi Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov for the American Ballet Theatre, and Peter Wright for the

and the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In recent years, revisionist productions, including those by Mark Morris,

Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is an English choreographer whose work includes contemporary dance and dance theatre. Choreographer In 2007, Bourne contemplated a gay version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. Despite the succ ...

, and Mikhail Chemiakin have appeared, which depart radically from both the original 1892 libretto and Gorsky's revival. In addition to annual live stagings of the work, many productions have also been televised and/or released on home video. The ballet has also brought attention to " The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", the original 1816 story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, which is now the source material for various animated and live action films. Tchaikovsky's music, especially '' The Nutcracker Suite'', a selection of eight pieces from the complete score, has become extremely popular. The suite (sans the ''Miniature Overture'' and the ''March'') was featured in the popular 1940

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film '' Fantasia''.

Stage

20th century

''Snowflakes'' — Ivan Clustine/Anna Pavlova (1911)

* Choreography:

Ivan Clustine Ivan Nikolayevich Khlyustin (russian: Иван Николаевич Хлюстин; 22 August 1862 – 21 November 1941), usually referred to outside Russia as Ivan Clustine, was a Russian dancer, ballet master, and choreographer. He was "offered ...

* Company:

Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...

* Premiere: 1911 When

formed her own troupe, she adapted the ''Journey through the Pine Forest'' and ''Waltz of the Snowflakes'' scenes into a ballet called ''Snowflakes'', with which she toured the United States and Europe from 1911 until her death in 1931. Although only a small fraction of the complete work, Pavlova's adaptation is significant for being the first time the ''Journey through the Pine Forest'' music was used for a pas de deux between a Snow Queen and a Snow King. This music would also later be utilized for a first act ''pas de deux'' between Clara and the Nutcracker Prince by Vasily Vainonen in his production for the Mariinsky Ballet, by Kurt Jacob for his German-American television production of the 1960s (see the section ''Television Presentations'' below), by Mikhail Baryshnikov for his famous production with American Ballet Theatre, by Kent Stowell for

Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States, with 11,000 subscribers in 2004. The company consists of 49 dan ...

, and by Peter Wright for his

production and Birmingham Royal Ballet productions. The Snow Queen/King would later be featured in some subsequent productions, including Helgi Tomasson's for the

Alexander Gorsky (1919)

* Choreography: Alexander Gorsky (after Petipa) * Company: Bolshoi Ballet,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

* Premiere: 1919 Russian choreographer

, who staged a production of ''The Nutcracker'' in

in 1919, is credited with the idea of combining Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy's roles (i.e. giving the Fairy's dances to Clara), eliminating the Sugar Plum Fairy's Cavalier, giving the Cavalier's dances to the Nutcracker Prince, and having the roles of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince danced by adults, thereby introducing a reason for a love interest between the two characters that had not been present in the original ballet.

Vasily Vainonen (1934)

* Choreography: Vasily Vainonen * Company: Mariinsky Ballet * Premiere: 1934,

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

In 1934, Soviet choreographer

staged his complete version of the ballet in the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. Vainonen followed Gorsky in departing from the original 1892 production, particularly in his casting adult dancers in the roles of Clara (called Masha in this production) and the Prince, having them perform the second act ''Grand Pas de Deux'' originally intended for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier (who are omitted from the production altogether), augmenting the role of Drosselmeyer, and concluding the ballet with Masha's realization that the fantasy sequences were a dream. Many subsequent productions, including those by Nureyev and Baryshnikov, have adopted these changes. The production was revived in 1954, and received a special staging at the

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

(known as Leningrad during the Communist era) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ballet's premiere in 1992. In 1994, with sets and costumes first used in its 1954 revival, the Vainonen version was staged again, starring Larissa Lezhnina as Masha, Victor Baranov as the Nutcracker / Prince, and Piotr Russanov as Drosselmeyer. This revival was videotaped and released on DVD. Another revival of this production has been shown in movie theatres in 3D, and a new DVD of it, starring

Alina Somova Alina Alekseevna Somova (russian: Али́на Алексе́евна Со́мова; born 22 October 1985) is a Russian ballet dancer and principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet of Saint Petersburg. Early life When Somova was young, she went ...

and Vladimir Shklyarov, was released in December 2012, both in a regular version and on Blu-ray. It was also telecast in 2012 and 2013 on Ovation Channel's "Battle of the Nutcrackers".

Alexandra Fedorova (1940)

* Choreography: Alexandra Fedorova, after

Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (russian: link=no, Лев Ива́нович Ива́нов; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. ...

* Company: Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo * Premiere: October 17, 1940. 51st Street Theater,

Although abridged, this production is notable for being the first time ''The Nutcracker'' (beyond excerpts) was performed in America.

Willam Christensen (1944)

* Choreography:

* Company:

* Premiere: December 24, 1944,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

In 1944, Christensen created the first complete production in America with the help of George Balanchine (who would go on to choreograph his own production ten years later) and

Alexandra Danilova Aleksandra Dionisyevna Danilova (''Russian'': Александра Дионисьевна Данилова; November 20, 1903 – July 13, 1997) was a Russian-born prima ballerina, who became an American citizen. In 1989, she was recognized f ...

. Both of them were familiar with the 1892 version: Christensen himself performed the role of the Cavalier.

Gisella Caccialanza Gisella Caccialanza (September 17, 1914 – July 16, 1998) was an American prima ballerina and teacher who danced in theater, opera and film productions. She studied ballet under Italian teacher Giovanni Rosi, and then with ballet dancer Enrico C ...

, the wife of Lew Christensen, danced the rôle of the Sugar Plum Fairy. One of the other dancers in the production was

Onna White Onna White (March 24, 1922 – April 8, 2005) was a Canadian choreographer and dancer, nominated for eight Tony Awards. Early life and career Born in Inverness, Nova Scotia, White began taking dance lessons at the age of twelve, and eventual ...

, who would later choreograph ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

'' on both stage and screen, as well as the 1968 film version of "Oliver!". The staging was a success, and one critic wrote: "We can't understand why a vehicle of such fantastic beauty and originality could be produced in Europe in 1892 with signal success icand never be produced in its entirety in this country until 1944. Perhaps choreographers will make up for lost time from now on." The company was the first in the U.S. to make the ballet an annual tradition, and for ten years, the only company in the United States performing the complete ballet. The company has performed ''The Nutcracker'' annually in subsequent versions by Lew Christensen and Helgi Tomasson respectively. On New Year's Day, 1965, ABC-TV telecast a one-hour abridgment of Lew Christensen's 1964 version.

Cynthia Gregory Cynthia Kathleen Gregory (born July 8, 1946) is an American former prima ballerina. Career Born in Los Angeles, Gregory took up dancing when she was five, with the encouragement of her parents, who hoped exercise would stem her history of childho ...

danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy and dancer Terry Orr was the Snow King.

George Balanchine (1954)

* Choreography: George Balanchine, after Marius Petipa and

* Company:

* Premiere: February 2, 1954, City Center of Music and Drama,

New York City Ballet Reportory Index. http://www.nycballet.com/company/rep.html?rep=228. Date retrieved: 03-11-10 In 1954 George Balanchine followed in Christensen's footsteps by choreographing and premiering his now-famous

version, adhering closely to the libretto of the original 1892 version (recollected from revivals in which he had performed the role of the Prince as a young boy in Russia): This version remained faithful to the original production in its casting actual children in the roles of Marie (Clara) and the Nutcracker Prince, even reconstructing some of the original choreography for the Prince's pantomime and the ''Grand Pas de Deux'' for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier in Act II. Balanchine made some musical edits for his production, adding an entr'acte originally composed for Act II of '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (used as a transition between the departure of the guests and the battle with the mice in Act I), moving the ''Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'' to earlier in Act II, and excising the ''Tarantella'' variation intended for the Cavalier during the ''Grand Pas de Deux''. Balanchine also departed from the original production on some points. For instance, while in the original production the ''Waltz of the Flowers'' was performed by eighteen male-female couples, Balanchine utilized a group of fourteen female dancers led by a Dew Drop soloist. Other changes reflect a return to Hoffmann's original tale. For instance, Balanchine used Hoffmann's original name for the heroine, Marie Stahlbaum (rather than Clara Silberhaus as in the 1892 production), and introduced a nephew for Drosselmeyer who appears in the party scene and later as the Nutcracker Prince. The production premiered on February 2, 1954 at the New York City Center, starring Alberta Grant as Marie, Michael Arshansky as Drosselmeyer, Paul Nickel as the Nutcracker Prince,

Maria Tallchief Elizabeth Marie Tallchief ( Osage family name: , Osage script: ; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American ballerina. She was considered America's first major prima ballerina. She was the first Native American (Osage Nation) to ...

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nicholas Magallanes as the Cavalier. It enjoyed huge popularity in New York and has been performed by the New York City Ballet every year since its premiere. Annual performances now take place at the

David H. Koch Theater The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

. This version has been broadcast three times on live television - first, in an abridged form in 1957, by CBS on the TV anthology '' The Seven Lively Arts''. This marked the first telecast not only of the Balanchine version but of any staging of the ballet. CBS's '' Playhouse 90'' broadcast a more complete (but still abridged) version of the Balanchine ''Nutcracker'', narrated by actress

June Lockhart June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925) is an American actress, beginning a film career in 1930s & 1940s in such films at ''A Christmas Carol'' and '' Meet Me in St. Louis''. She primarily acted in 1950s and 1960s television, and with performances on ...

, who was then starring as the mother in CBS's '' Lassie'', in 1958; it was the first ''Nutcracker'' broadcast in color. There were only four commercial breaks. This television production starred

Diana Adams Diana Adams (March 29, 1926 – January 10, 1993) was a principal dancer for the New York City Ballet from 1950 to 1963 and favorite of George Balanchine, later becoming a teacher at — and dean of — the School of American Ballet. Adams was bor ...

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, the then ten-year-old

Bonnie Bedelia Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (born ) is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera '' Love of Life'' and made her film debut in '' The Gypsy Moths''. Bedelia subsequently appea ...

as Clara, and

Robert Maiorano The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

as the Nutcracker Prince. The latest revival of the production was telecast on ''

Live from Lincoln Center ''Live from Lincoln Center'' is a seventeen-time Emmy Award-winning series that has broadcast notable performances from the Lincoln Center in New York City on PBS since 1976. The program airs between six and nine times per season. Episodes of '' ...

'' during the 2011 Christmas season on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. It was PBS's first-ever telecast of the Balanchine ''Nutcracker'', but was not seen in some areas because the local PBS stations there decided to substitute their own program choices (not necessarily artistic or musical). The Atlanta PBS stations, for instance, substituted self-help specials from

Suze Orman Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman ( ; born June 5, 1951) is an American financial advisor, author, and podcast host. In 1987, she founded the Suze Orman Financial Group. Her work as a financial advisor gained notability with ''The Suze Orman Show'', which ...

and others, as they often do now during their pledge drives. This 2011 telecast of ''The Nutcracker'' has so far not appeared complete online, and has not been released on DVD because ''Live from Lincoln Center'' customarily refuses to release its programs on video, due to difficulties involving paying royalties to the various parties involved. This production was nominated for an Emmy Award. In addition to the New York City Ballet, Balanchine's version of ''The Nutcracker'' is currently performed annually by six other ballet companies in the United States: Alabama Ballet, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the

Miami City Ballet Miami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida, led by artistic director Lourdes Lopez. MCB was founded in 1985 by Toby Lerner Ansin, a Miami philanthropist. Ansin and the founding board hired Edward Villella, ...

, the

Oregon Ballet Theatre Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is a ballet company in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company performs an annual five-program season at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and conducts regional and national tours. It was featured in t ...

, The Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, the

Pennsylvania Ballet The Philadelphia Ballet, formerly known as Pennsylvania Ballet until rebranding in 2021, is Philadelphia's largest ballet company. The company's annual local season features six programs of classic favorites, as well as new works, including the Ph ...

, and since 2015, the

. It was previously performed at the Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford, Connecticut and by the

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) is an American professional ballet company based in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). History 1969 - Founding The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre was founded in 1969 by a Yugoslavian choreog ...

. From 1966 to 1994, the

Atlanta Ballet Atlanta Ballet is a ballet company, located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the longest continuously performing ballet company in the United States and the State Ballet of Georgia. History Atlanta Ballet was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Alexander as ...

staged the complete Balanchine version annually (after having performed only Act II for eight years); the company now performs choreographer John McFall's version.

Rudolf Nureyev (1963)

* Choreography:

, after Vasily Vainonen * Company:

* Premiere: November, 1967,

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

, Covent Garden,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

In 1963,

created his own version of Tchaikovsky's work with the

, in which he starred with Merle Park as Clara. Nureyev had previously performed the role of the Nutcracker Prince in Vainonen's version as a student at the Leningrad Ballet school in February 1958. Nureyev's production adopts many of Gorsky and Vainonen's alterations to the original 1892 version, including casting adult dancers in the roles of Clara and the Prince, eliminating the Sugar Plum Fairy, and having Clara awaken to realize the fantasy sequences were a dream. The production was videotaped for British television in 1968 and is available on DVD. As far as is known, it has never been telecast on U.S. television. Nureyev played the roles of Drosselmeyer and the Nutcracker Prince, while

Wayne Sleep Wayne Philip Colin Sleep (born 17 July 1948) is a British dancer, director, choreographer, and actor who appeared on the BBC series '' The Real Marigold on Tour'' and ITV's '' The Real Full Monty''. Early life Sleep was born in Plymouth, D ...

portrayed the Nutcracker. Some critics considered this a

Freudian Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...

touch, taking it to mean that it is not the Nutcracker who turns into a Prince, but Drosselmeyer. However, this is not necessarily obvious to viewers of the DVD of this production. This production was revived twice by the Paris Opera Ballet in a heavily revised version, in 1988 with Elisabeth Maurin as Clara and

Laurent Hilaire Laurent Hilaire (born 8 November 1962) is a French ballet dancer. Regarded as one of the greatest dancers to emerge from ballet over the past few decades, he was an '' étoile'' of the Paris Opera Ballet for 22 years. From 2011, he was the assoc ...

as Drosselmeyer and the Prince, and in 2008 with Myriam Ould-Braham as Clara and Jérémie Bélingard in these roles. Neither of those productions have been telecast on U.S. television.

Yuri Grigorovich (1966)

* Choreography:

In 1966, Yuri Grigorovich created his own version of ''The Nutcracker'' for the Bolshoi Ballet, utilizing many of the changes made by Vasily Vainonen for his 1934 production, including the casting of adult dancers in the roles of the heroine (called Maria rather than Clara in this version) and the Nutcracker Prince, and the omission of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.Greskovic, Robert. (2005) ''Ballet 101: a complete guide to learning and loving the ballet.'' New York: Hal Leonard. In this version, all of the toys take part in the ''Journey Through the Snow'' sequence, rather than being offstage while Maria and the Prince perform the dance. And, as in the Vainonen version, much of the company also dances along with Maria and the Prince as they perform the ''Adagio'' in the Act II ''Pas de Deux''; in fact, Maria and the Prince never have the stage all alone to themselves. As a departure from the original 1892 production, Grigorovich omits the pantomime that the Prince performs "describing" his defeat of the Mouse King at the beginning of Act II. The music for the pantomime is used for the defeat of the Mouse King, who is not killed in the first act as in the original or Vainonen's version, but at the beginning of the second act. The entire score is used, which means that the ''Dance of the Clowns'', cut from the earlier version, is reinstated, though Mother Ginger does not appear, nor do any clowns; the dance is performed by the same dancers who perform the other ''divertissements''. In this production, although Maria (or Clara) is outfitted with a bridal veil in the ''Final Waltz'' in anticipation to her impending wedding to the Nutcracker Prince, she then awakens to find that the fantasy sequences were a dream. This version was first televised in the New York area only by WNBC-TV in 1977, only two days after CBS first telecast the famous Baryshnikov version. First Lady

Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a p ...

hosted, and the telecast was unique because the lead dancers had to be replaced halfway through due to injuries. This production was released on videocassette and videodisc in the early '80s by MGM/CBS Home Video, through CBS Video Enterprises; CBS released it on videocassette again in 1984, this time as part of CBS/Fox Video. A revival of it was recorded on video in 1987, with the same two stars of the 1977 Bolshoi production, husband-and-wife team Ekaterina Maximova as Maria and Vladimir Vasiliev as the Nutcracker Prince. Both versions are available on DVD, though the 1977 version, sourced from MGM/CBS's CED release, is considerably rarer than the 1987 version. Another revival of this version was recorded in 1989, starring Natalya Arkhipova as Clara, not Maria as in the earlier version, and Irek Mukhamedov as the Nutcracker Prince (but not the Nutcracker himself; that role is played by a female dancer, Marisa Okothnikova). In this revival the romance between Clara and the Prince is slightly more pronounced than in the earlier Bolshoi version. It is now available on DVD, and has been telecast in the U.S. as part of Ovation TV's annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers". The first widescreen high-definition revival of the Grigorovich ''Nutcracker'' was streamed live to movie theatres in Europe in 2010. The use of the new technique afforded moviegoers the chance to see the production in more vivid colors than had been featured in the earlier versions of the production, especially since the Bolshoi Theatre had been recently renovated. Nina Kaptsova starred as Marie (rather than Clara) and Artem Ovcharenko was the Nutcracker Prince. In December 2018, Grigorovich's ''Nutcracker'' for the anniversary of the birth of

Galina Ulanova Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (russian: Галина Сергеевна Уланова, ; 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Biography Ulanova was born ...

was released on the official YouTube channel.

Mikhail Baryshnikov (1976)

* Choreography: Mikhail Baryshnikov, after Vasily Vainonen * Company: American Ballet Theatre * Premiere: December 21, 1976, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In 1976, the 28-year-old Mikhail Baryshnikov premiered a new version of the ballet for the American Ballet Theatre, with himself in the title role, Marianna Tcherkassky as Clara, and Alexander Minz as Drosselmeyer. The production premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in December 1976, and received its New York premiere on May 18, 1977 at the Metropolitan Opera House. Like Nureyev, Baryshnikov adopted many of the changes made by Gorsky and Vainonen, including the casting of adult dancers in the roles of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, the elimination of the Sugar Plum Fairy while making Drosselmeyer's role more prominent, and a concluding scene in which Clara realizes the fantasy sequences were a dream. This production also utilizes Vainonen's choreography for the ''Waltz of the Snowflakes''. Other changes included having a drunken guest at the Christmas party be the one responsible for breaking the Nutcracker, not Clara's brother Fritz, who is portrayed fairly sympathetically in this version. Clara, meanwhile, does not throw her slipper at the Mouse King during the battle, but a candleholder instead. The ''Grand Adagio'' of the ''Pas de Deux'' in Act II was made almost into a ''Pas de Trois'', as Drosselmeyer enters the festivities at the Land of Sweets to coax Clara back to reality but she refuses to go. In order to provide a dramatic climax to the story, the adagio was made the penultimate dance in the ballet, coming just before the ''Final Waltz and Apotheosis''. This production achieved particular popularity when it was recorded for television in 1977, starring

Gelsey Kirkland Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29, 1952) is an American ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was ...

as Clara (one of her few roles captured on video), with Baryshnikov and Minz reprising their roles as the Nutcracker / Prince and Drosselmeyer respectively. The telecast was directed by multi- Emmy-winning choreographer and director

Tony Charmoli Tony Charmoli (June 11, 1921 – August 7, 2020) was an American dancer, choreographer, and director. He began dancing on Broadway in such shows as ''Make Mine Manhattan'' but soon began choreographing for television with '' Stop the Music'' in 194 ...

. Although not televised now as often as it used to be, and despite the fact that it was not shot in high definition or widescreen, it retains its status as the most popular telecast of the ballet even today, having become a huge bestseller on DVD especially during the Christmas season. The television version was not a live performance from the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

of the ballet, but a special presentation shot on videotape in a TV studio.

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

had already done this as early as 1955, with its

Producers' Showcase ''Producers' Showcase'' is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth ...

version of Tchaikovsky's ''The Sleeping Beauty'', starring

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...

(which was, however, presented live in those days of no videotape). This method of presentation permitted far greater freedom of camera movement and more use of different camera angles. The Baryshnikov ''Nutcracker'' was videotaped in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. Due to time constraints and the necessity to bring the program in at ninety minutes (counting three commercial breaks), the television version of the Baryshnikov production had to eliminate the ''Arabian Dance'' altogether. It was first telecast by

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

in the U.S. as a Christmas season special with limited commercial interruption on December 16, 1977, pre-empting ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'' and '' Logan's Run'' for that week. It was re-broadcast by CBS several times, then afterwards many times annually by

, usually during their Christmas season

pledge drive A pledge drive is an extended period of fundraising activities, generally used by public broadcasting stations to increase contributions. The term "pledge" originates from the promise that a contributor makes to send in funding at regular interval ...

s. In 1997, a slightly edited version of it was telecast on the A&E Network, as part of their '' Breakfast with the Arts'' program. The presentation was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts, and Baryshnikov himself was nominated for an Emmy for Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievement. On September 28, 2004, the production was reissued on DVD, remastered and in both 2.0 and 5.1 stereo surround sound. In September 2012, it became one of the few 1970's programs originally recorded on videotape to be released on

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

Kent Stowell/Maurice Sendak (1983)

* Choreography: Kent Stowell * Company:

* Premiere: December 13, 1983, Seattle Center Opera House,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

In 1981, Kent Stowell, artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet company in Seattle, approached children's author Maurice Sendak to design the sets and costumes for a new production of ''The Nutcracker'': The version they eventually created premiered in December 1983. Unlike previous versions, Stowell and Sendak turned to the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story for inspiration and incorporated some of the darker aspects of Hoffmann's tale. In this production, Clara is portrayed by a young girl up until the defeat of the Mouse King, after which the character is transformed into a young woman and performed by an adult dancer for the remainder of the ballet. Stowell dispenses with the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Confiturembourg setting for Act II altogether, opting instead, according to Sendak, for an exotic port containing a

seraglio A seraglio, serail, seray or saray (from fa, سرای, sarāy, palace, via Turkish and Italian) is a castle, palace or government building which was considered to have particular administrative importance in various parts of the former Ott ...

, in which the Grand Pasha (meant to resemble Drosselmeyer, played by the same performer) has his entourage perform for the couple in honor of their bravery. At the end of Act II, the boat on which Clara and the Prince journey to the Land of Sweets returns to take the Nutcracker and Clara away. Clara expresses reluctance to leave and the Pasha sends the boat away without her. As in the Vainonen, Clara wakes to realize the fantasy sequences were a dream. Sendak and Stowell also added to the original score a duet from Tchaikovsky's opera '' Pique Dame'', to be performed at the Christmas Party. This production was extremely popular and has been revived in Seattle every year since its premiere. In 1986 it served as the basis for the feature film, ''Nutcracker: The Motion Picture''. In 2014 it completed its 32-year run at

McCaw Hall Marion Oliver McCaw Hall (often abbreviated to McCaw Hall) is a performing arts hall in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located on the grounds of Seattle Center and owned by the city of Seattle, McCaw Hall's two principal tenants are the Seat ...

Peter Wright (1984 and 1990)

* Choreography: Peter Wright, after

* Company:

* Premiere: December 20, 1984,

, Covent Garden,

In 1984, dancer-choreographer Peter Wright created a new production based on the original 1892 production for the

. In doing so, he enlisted the aide of musicologist Roland John Wiley, who had done extensive research on Tchaikovsky's ballets and served as production consultant. Together, they created a production that was closely based on the original by

. For the ''Waltz of the Flowers'', for instance, Wright utilized the floor patterns designed by Ivanov for the premiere and, unlike many productions, featured a

Vivandière Vivandière or cantinière is a French name for women who are attached to military regiments as sutlers or canteen keepers. Their actual historic functions of selling wine to the troops and working in canteens led to the adoption of the name 'c ...

doll in Act I as in the original production.Palmer, Ian. (2007-12)
"Nutcracker Time"
. ''Ballet'' magazine. Date retrieved: 2010-11-05. Wright departed from the original in the casting of adult dancers in the roles of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, and omitting Mother Gigogne and her Polichinelles. Unlike Vasily Vainonen's 1934 production, however, the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier remain intact. Wright's production, like Balanchine's, incorporates a nephew for Drosselmeyer, named Hans-Peter, but in this production he is actually the Nutcracker Prince, an element featured in the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The sets and costumes were designed by Julia Trevelyan Oman, inspired by the Biedermeier era of 19th century

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. This production premiered at the

in December 1984. In 1985, it was recorded by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

and televised in the U.S. by A&E, starring Julie Rose as Clara, Guy Niblett as Hans-Peter, Leslie Collier as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and

Anthony Dowell Sir Anthony James Dowell (born 16 February 1943) is a retired British ballet dancer and a former artistic director of the Royal Ballet. He is widely recognized as one of the great ''danseurs nobles'' of the twentieth century. Early life and tra ...

as her Cavalier. Wright has stated that of all his productions of the ballet, the 1984 one is the closest to the original, although Clara and Hans-Peter are played by adults. Wright even has the dancing dolls at the Christmas party bursting out of pies, as in the 1892 production. Wright revised the production in 2001 for the newly renovated Royal Opera House to create an ending in which Clara first believes that she was dreaming her adventures; then in the epilogue, after meeting Hans-Peter again in the real world, she realizes that they actually happened. The revised production was videotaped and televised in the U.S. as part of PBS's ''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

'', starring Alina Cojocaru as Clara, Ivan Putrov as the Nutcracker Prince,

Miyako Yoshida Miyako Yoshida (吉田都, born 28 October 1965) is a Japanese ballet dancer. She was a Principal Guest Artist of The Royal Ballet as well as a principal dancer with K-ballet, Japan. Life and career Born and trained in Tokyo, Yoshida won the ...

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Anthony Dowell (this time as Drosselmeyer). These first two versions of the Wright production are available on DVD. In 2008, again with a new cast ( Iohna Loots as Clara, Ricardo Cervera as Hans-Peter, and Gary Avis as Drosselmeyer), the production was streamed live to movie theatres in England, and was presented as a high-definition film in select theatres throughout the U.S. during the 2009 Christmas season. There exist two different versions of this revival. The first one, with Alexandra Ansanelli as the Sugar Plum Fairy, was filmed in 2008, and another one, also with Loots, Cervera and Avis, but with

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, was filmed in 2009 and also shown in theatres, and was released on DVD in 2010. In the 2008 staging, romantic interest between Clara and Hans-Peter is more pronounced than in the other versions of this production: they kiss several times. The 2009 revival of the Wright production was selected as a candidate in Ovation TV's 2010 "Battle of the Nutcrackers" contest — not the version with Alina Cojocaru as Clara, as has been erroneously stated on some websites. The 2009 production ultimately was chosen as the viewer favorite in the contest. It made its U.S. TV debut on December 6, 2010. The 2010 contest marked the first time that this revival of the production was shown on U.S. television. * Choreography: Peter Wright * Company: Birmingham Royal Ballet * Premiere: December 29, 1990,

Birmingham Hippodrome The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including vi ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

Wright staged a new version of the ballet in 1990, when the Sadler Wells Royal Ballet moved to

and became the Birmingham Royal Ballet under his direction. For this production, Wright departed more freely from the 1892 original than in his 1984 Royal Ballet production. In this version, the fantasy sequences are once again a dream, Clara is a ballet student, and her mother is a former ballerina. The production has been particularly praised for John Macfarlane's set designs. In 1994, this version was filmed, starring Irek Mukhamedov as the Nutcracker Prince,

Sandra Madgwick Sandra Elizabeth Madgwick (born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire on 7 March 1963) is a retired English ballerina and former principal dancer at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where she worked for 19 years. She initially trained at the Royal Ballet Schoo ...

as Clara, and once again,

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and was released on DVD by Kultur International Films (as of this writing, Ms. Yoshida has danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy more times on video than any other dancer). However, this Birmingham Ballet production has never been telecast in the U.S.

''The Hard Nut'' — Mark Morris (1991)

* Choreography: Mark Morris * Company: Mark Morris Dance Group * Premiere: January 12, 1991, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie,

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In 1990, American dancer and choreographer Mark Morris began work on ''The Hard Nut'', a contemporary version of ''The Nutcracker'', taking inspiration from the horror-comic artist Charles Burns, whose artwork focuses on the archetypal concepts of guilt, childhood, adolescent sexuality, and poignant, nostalgic portrayals of post-war America. Morris enlisted a team of collaborators with whom he could evoke Burns’ black-and-white world: set designer Adrianne Lobel, lighting designer James F. Ingalls, and costume designer Martin Pakledinaz. ''The Hard Nut'' was the last of twelve pieces Mark Morris created during his time as Director of Dance at the National Opera House of Belgium. ''The Hard Nut'' premiered on January 12, 1991 at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. It was chosen the favorite by viewer votes in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in Ovation TV's annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers". Shortly after the premiere, MMDG returned to the United States, having finished their three-year residency at the Monnaie, but the company returned six months later with film crew in hand for encore performances in Belgium's national opera house, one of which was telecast on PBS in 1992 and was made available on VHS and Laserdisc. ''The Hard Nut'' was released on DVD in 2007. This production was nominated for two Emmy Awards. 2010 marked the first year that ''The Hard Nut'' was not part of the annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers".

''Nutcracker!'' — Matthew Bourne (1992)

* Choreography:

* Company: Adventures in Motion Pictures * Premiere: August 26, 1992,

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

In 1992, choreographer

staged a new version of the ballet as part of a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's one-act

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

'' Iolanta'' (presented by

Opera North Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...

) to celebrate the centenary of both works. Bourne's version, while retaining Tchaikovsky's score (except the music for Mother Gigogne and her Polichinelles), reworks the traditional libretto. In this version, Clara lives in Dr. Sugar's orphanage. The Nutcracker in this version resembles the ventriloquist dummy Jerry Mahoney after coming to life, and turns into, not a Prince, but a shirtless, muscular man resembling Mr. Universe. The Sugar Plum Fairy is replaced by a character named Princess Sugar, a calculating, slutty woman who steals Clara's beau away from her. Instead of abandoning plot development for divertissement in Act II as in the original 1892 production, in Act II of Bourne's production, Clara must find her hunky beau in time to prevent him from marrying Princess Sugar. Clara ultimately awakens in the orphanage to find him hiding under the covers of her bed, ready to whisk her away for a happily-ever-after ending. The original production was a success and was brought back to the Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1993 and 1994. It was nominated for a 1994 Laurence Olivier Award for "Best New Dance Production" and for a "Best of the Edinburgh Festival Award" by ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

''. Bourne revised the production in 2002, which has since been performed in various locations in Britain and the U.S. In 2003, it was telecast on the Bravo channel. It was later released on DVD.

21st century

Kirill Simonov / Mikhail Chemiakin (2001)

* Choreography: Kirill Simonov * Company: Mariinsky Ballet * Premiere: February 12, 2001,

, St Petersburg In 2001, Russian artist Mikhail Chemiakin joined with choreographer Kirill Simonov, at the request of conductor

Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev (russian: Вале́рий Абиса́лович Ге́ргиев, ; os, Гергиты Абисалы фырт Валери, Gergity Abisaly fyrt Valeri; born 2 May 1953) is a Russian conductor and opera company d ...

, to design a new production of the ballet: Like Maurice Sendak and Kent Stowell's 1983 production for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, they would draw on the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann for inspiration. Chemiakin chose to emphasize some of Hoffmann's darker and more grotesque themes, including those of repressed imagination and childhood alienation (the heroine is shunned by her own parents in this version, although she isn't in the Hoffmann story). As in the original 1892 production, the fantasy sequences are not a dream and the Sugar Plum Fairy still appears (though, like Gorsky's version and Vainonen's 1934 version, Simonov gives her ''Grand Pas de Deux'' in Act II to the heroine, called Masha, and the Nutcracker Prince). In one case, Chemiakin deviated sharply from Hoffmann, who gave his story a happy ending by having the heroine marry the Nutcracker Prince, and presumably stay in the Kingdom of Sweets to live happily ever after with him. Instead of Hoffmann's ending or the Apotheosis of the original production, Masha and the Prince, who fall deeply in love and are married offstage, are turned into confections at the top of a giant wedding cake, in danger of being eaten by rats who are climbing and nibbling on it. The production premiered at the Mariinsky in February 2001, and was performed in the U.S. for the first time in 2003, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

and his wife Laura attended one of the performances. It was also shown in select movie theatres in high-definition. It has proved highly controversial and has received many withering reviews, which nevertheless praise the dancing of ballerina Irina Golub, who portrays Masha on the DVD made of the production. Russian dance critic Nina Alovert also commented disparagingly of the production, saying that it was "full of uncaring human beings and rats who eat people", and that "The one good person eaning Mashais turned into a sugar-coated doll". In Dance View Times, critic George Jackson called it "The Gargoyle Nutcracker", and inexplicably termed Masha, the kindliest character in the production, a "brat" and a "minislut", perhaps partly because of the Act II Pas de Deux, which is made quite sensual in this production, some have even said sexual. On the other hand, Stephen Smoliar published a favorable review of the production, in which he said of the Act II Pas de Deux, "Never before have I found such an erotically charged ''Pas de Deux'' (in ''any'' ballet)", stating that it represents the moment when Masha and the Nutcracker Prince consummate their relationship, and he complimented Irina Golub for "dancing it so passionately". He also praised choreographer Simonov, and stated that "never before has this eroticism n the balletseemed so relevant." (In the production, the Grand Adagio of the ''Pas de deux'' culminates in a passionate kiss between Masha and the Nutcracker Prince, and at the end of the dance, Masha, with a mischievous smile and a knowing glance, looks around the room as if trying to make sure that the others are preoccupied, then grabs the Prince's hand and runs offstage with him, perhaps to be alone with him in private; one blog has even suggested that at this point the couple makes love for the first time. It is left to the viewer to decide.) The ending of this version is quite horrifying, in that it implies that Masha and the Prince have been killed. This production was filmed in 2007 and released on DVD in 2008, both on

and regular format; however, the regular format version rapidly went out-of-print. In the credits, Chemiakin's name is spelled Shemiakin. Onstage, Golub and Natalya Sologub alternated in the rôle of Masha in the original stagings of this production, which is still staged by the Mariinsky Ballet. This version made its U.S. TV debut in December 2011, on Ovation TV's annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers".

Helgi Tomasson (2004)

* Choreography: Helgi Tomasson * Company:

* Premiere: December 17, 2004, War Memorial Opera House,

In December 2004, artistic director Helgi Tomasson staged a new version of the ballet for the San Francisco Ballet set in San Francisco during the

Panama–Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely s ...

. (Other productions, such as

Robert Joffrey Robert Joffrey (December 24, 1930 – March 25, 1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, choreographer, and co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. He was born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan in Se ...

's for the Joffrey Ballet and

Septime Webre The Washington Ballet (TWB) is an ensemble of professional ballet dancers based in Washington DC. It was founded in 1976 by Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Julie Kent since 2016. Septime Webre was artistic director for ...

's for the

Washington Ballet The Washington Ballet (TWB) is an ensemble of professional ballet dancers based in Washington DC. It was founded in 1976 by Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Julie Kent since 2016. Septime Webre was artistic director fo ...

have taken a similar route in transplanting the action to America.) Clara is played, for the most part, by a young girl rather than an adult woman. This production utilizes the basic outline of the original 1892 version, with some departures. For example, as in the Chemiakin and Grigorovich versions, the Nutcracker first "comes to life" at the Christmas party before Clara's dream begins. Rather than a Soldier as in the original 1892 version, it is the Nutcracker that is Drosselmeyer's second life-sized doll. And, rather than throwing her slipper at the Mouse King, Clara humorously arranges with the help of the toy soldiers to get the Mouse King's tail caught in a huge mousetrap, thus enabling the Nutcracker to fatally stab him. Like the Sir Peter Wight production for the Royal Ballet it opens in Drosselmeyer's workplace. In lieu of the Confiturembourg setting for Act II, Tomasson substitutes a Crystal Palace, like the one featured at the 1915 fair. As the festivities draw to a close, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Drosselmeyer grant the young girl Clara her greatest Christmas wish and transform her into a beautiful woman to dance in the arms of her Prince, who is played by an adult in this version. Thus, as in Gorsky's version and Vasily Vainonen's 1934 version, the ''Grand Pas de Deux'' is danced, not by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, but by the Nutcracker Prince and Clara. Also, like Vainonen's production, Clara awakes on Christmas morning a young girl again, to find that the fantasy sequences were a dream. In 2007, this version was filmed by KQED and presented in select movie theatres throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The following winter, it was presented on PBS' '' Dance in America'' and subsequently released on DVD.

Gelsey Kirkland / Michael Chernov (2013)

* Choreography:

* Company: Gelsey Kirkland Ballet * Premiere: December 12, 2013, Schimmel Center for the Arts,

Pace University Pace University is a private university with its main campus in New York City and secondary campuses in Westchester County, New York. It was established in 1906 by the brothers Homer St. Clair Pace and Charles A. Pace as a business school. Pace ...

, New York City

Other Productions

* Mary Day/Martin Buckner (1961) — Among the first wave of productions in the U.S. after Christensen and Balanchine was the Washington Ballet's production, choreographed by Mary Day with Martin Buckner and

Choo San Goh Goh Choo San (; 14 September 1948 – 28 November 1987) was a Singaporean ballet dancer and choreographer whose decade-long association with The Washington Ballet brought that company international acclaim. Childhood The son of Goh Kim Lok (1904 ...

. The production premiered at

DAR Constitution Hall DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall located at 1776 D Street NW, near the White House in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Me ...

with the National Symphony Orchestra in December 1961. The production was subsequently performed at various venues throughout

including Lisner Auditorium and the Warner Theatre until Day's retirement in 2004, at which point the production was retired and replaced with a new version by

, set in 19th century Georgetown. *Ronald Hynd (1976) — Staged by the

London Festival Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottis ...

, Hynd's version of the story gives the heroine an older sister named Louise who falls in love with Drosselmeyer's nephew against the wishes of her parents.https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/30/arts/dance-view-the-return-of-nutcracker-an-eternal-balletic-verity.html , Jack Anderson, "DANCE VIEW: The Return of the Nutcracker, an Eternal Balletic Verity", ''The New York Times'', November 20, 1986. * Robert Joffrey/Gerald Arpino (1987) — In 1987,

and

Gerald Arpino Gerald Arpino (January 14, 1923 – October 29, 2008) was an American dancer and choreographer. He was co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet and succeeded Robert Joffrey as its artistic director in 1988. Life and career Born on Staten Island, New Yor ...

created a version of the ballet for the Joffrey Ballet set in

Currier and Ives Currier and Ives was a New York City printmaking business that operated between 1835 and 1907. Founded by Nathaniel Currier, the company designed and sold inexpensive, hand painted lithographic works based on news events, views of popular cult ...

America. The production has been performed in cities nationwide, including

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, and ultimately in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

where the company established its permanent home in 1995. In 1999, an abridged version of the production was televised on some

stations in U.S. as ''The Joffrey Nutcracker''. * Graeme Murphy (1992) —

Graeme Murphy Graeme Lloyd Murphy AO (born 2 November 1950) is an Australian choreographer. With his fellow dancer (and wife since 2004) Janet Vernon, he guided Sydney Dance Company to become one of Australia's most successful and best-known dance compani ...

's version, entitled "Nutcracker: The Story of Clara", was created in 1992 for the

Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...

, released on video in 1994, and released on DVD in 2008. It retains Tchaikovsky's music, but throws out virtually all of the original story, adding some quite intense scenes not found in a usual ''Nutcracker''. In this version, set in the 1950s, Clara is an aging Australian ballerina in a retirement home who recalls her past life in flashback, and dies of old age at the end. There are no magical enchantments in this version, which made a surprise appearance as an additional offering in 2011's ''Battle of the Nutcrackers''. * Anatoli Emilianov (1993) — Anatoli Emilianov has staged a version for the

Moscow Ballet The name Moscow Ballet has commonly been applied to a number of different ballet companies, which include: * Moscow Ballet (United States), a Russian ballet company. The Moscow Ballet tours annually in the United States with its Great Russian '' Nut ...

called ''The Great Russian Nutcracker'', in which the second act is set in the "Land of Peace and Harmony". As in the Gorsky and Vainonen versions, Clara performs all of the dances usually performed by the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Prince performs the Cavalier's dances. New York Times dance critic

Alastair Macaulay Alastair Macaulay is an English writer and dance critic. He was the chief dance critic for '' The New York Times'' from 2007 until he retired in 2018. He was previously chief dance critic at '' The Times'' and Literary Supplement and chief theater ...

has criticized what he calls "the production's emphasis on Love, Love, Love," claiming that a romance between Clara and the Nutcracker Prince makes ''The Nutcracker'' seem like too many other classical ballets, rather than a unique one which essentially does not have an adult love interest. * Pär Isberg (1997) —

Pär Isberg Pär is a given name, a Scandinavian form of Peter. Notable people with the name include: * Pär Arlbrandt (born 1982), Swedish former professional ice hockey forward * Pär Arvidsson (born 1960), former butterfly swimmer from Sweden * Pär Asp ( ...

's version for the Royal Swedish Ballet, staged in 1997, uses most of Tchaikovsky's music, but bears little resemblance to the original ballet, although there still is a Mouse King. In this version, it is a charcoal burner who becomes a handsome Prince, and a housemaid falls in love with him and becomes his Princess. Instead of simply Clara visiting the Kingdom of Sweets, it is two children, Lotta and her brother Petter, who do so. (Some of the new libretto, co-written by Isberg and Erik Näslund, is inspired by Elsa Beskow's children's book "Peter and Lotta's Christmas".) This version is available on DVD only in Great Britain. * Patrice Bart (1999) —

Patrice Bart Patrice is a given name meaning '' noble'' or ''patrician'', related to the names Patrick and Patricia. In English, Patrice is often a feminine first name. In French, it is used as a masculine first name. Popularity In the United States, the popu ...

's version, available on DVD, created for the Berlin Staatsoper, and premiered there in 1999, reworks the libretto. The heroine (here called Marie) is an unhappy, traumatized child who finds herself in the care of the cruel Stahlbaum family after her mother is kidnapped by

Russian Revolutionaries The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

. Her only friend is Drosselmeyer who here is a young man who helps Marie remember and overcome her repressed trauma. The nutcracker toy, whose uniform reminds Marie of her father, becomes the catalyst for this experience. Drosselmeyer evokes in the revolutionaries (taking the place of the Mice from the traditional staging), enabling Marie to drive them off by throwing her toy nutcracker at them. The toy then explodes, comes to life, and almost immediately turns into a Prince. In the second act, Marie is reunited with her mother. As in Vainonen's 1934 version, there is no Sugar Plum Fairy or Cavalier; their dances are performed by Marie and the Nutcracker Prince. This production appeared on DVD with Nadja Saidakova as Marie and Vladimir Malakhov as the Nutcracker Prince. Daniel Barenboim conducts the orchestra. This version was also shown on U.S. TV in Ovation's 2010 "Battle of the Nutcrackers" and won the 2016 "Battle of the Nutcrackers". * Maurice Béjart (2000) — Like the Graeme Murphy version,

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French-born dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, talking vast th ...

's 2000 production throws out the original story altogether, creating all-new characters. Béjart plants his own mother at the center of the story, depicting what looks like a mother and son's incestuous attraction to each other. Here, the main character is named Bim, and is intended to represent Béjart himself. Mephisto and

Felix the Cat Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer during the silent film era. An anthropomorphic black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, he was one of the most recognized cartoon characte ...

appear as characters. A piece of set design seen throughout the production resembles a woman's naked torso, with a visible

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The ...

. There is, in addition to the suggestion of incest, a strong gay subtext throughout. The Act I Pas de Deux between Bim and his mother, originally meant to be performed at the point at which the Nutcracker turns into a Prince, is extremely suggestive sexually. The ballet is constantly interrupted by filmed commentary from Béjart himself, and French café songs are also inserted into the production. This one was also a candidate in 2010's "Battle of the Nutcrackers". * Youri Vamos (2007) — Hungarian choreographer Youri Vámos has created ''The Nutcracker: A Christmas Story'', a version of Tchaikovsky's ballet, released on DVD in 2007, which combines Hoffmann's story with elements from

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

's '' A Christmas Carol'', to the point of including Ebenezer Scrooge,

Bob Cratchit Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel ''A Christmas Carol''. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley, when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize the poor working condi ...

, Mrs. Cratchit, and the Spirit of Christmas as characters. It won the Battle of the Nutcrackers in 2014. * Gary Harris (2010) - Choreographer Gary Harris has created a production for the New Zealand Ballet which takes place partly in a hospital ward to which Clara is taken after receiving a bump on the head, courtesy of her slingshot-wielding brother Fritz. * Alexei Ratmansky (2010) — Russian choreographer Ratmansky's production of ''The Nutcracker'', for American Ballet Theatre, premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Thursday, December 23, 2010, with principal dancers

Gillian Murphy Gillian Murphy ( ; born April 11, 1979) is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. Early life and education Raised in Florence, South Carolina, Murphy was a member of Columbia City Ballet before at ...

and David Hallberg. It uses the original plot, but in this production, during the ''Pas de deux'', the little girl Clara and the boy Nutcracker Prince imagine themselves dancing it as adults, whereupon the principal dancers take over the roles until the ''Apotheosis'' of the ballet. The production follows Chemiakin's by beginning the ballet in the Stahlbaum's kitchen (where mice are hiding), in making the snowflakes have a sinister quality, and in having Clara and the Nutcracker Prince kiss onstage near the end. It follows the Bolshoi version in having attendants place a bridal veil on Clara after she accepts the Prince's marriage proposal during the ''Pas de Deux''. And, like the Bolshoi version and many others, it all turns out to have been a dream at the end. The production has received mostly rave reviews, perhaps the best for an ABT "Nutcracker" since Baryshnikov's famous production. * Cabaret Red Light (2010) —

Cabaret Red Light Cabaret Red Light was a theater group based in Philadelphia that performed vaudeville, burlesque, spoken word and puppet theater, set to original music by The Blazing Cherries. In their first season, between November 2008 and July 2009, Cabaret Re ...

created a burlesque-and-ballet version of ''The Nutcracker'' with original score by Rolf Lakaemper and Peter Gaffney, and choreography by Christine Fisler. Directed by Anna Frangiosa and Gaffney, the production draws on material from the original short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," aiming to restore scenes, characters and other elements not included in Alexandre Dumas' French adaptation of the holiday classic, and presenting a version that is generally truer to the spirit and uncanny nature of Hoffmann's work. Using a variety of media - shadow puppets, kinetic sculptures, experimental music and narrative dance - Cabaret Red Light's ''NUTCRACKER'' revolves around the figure of Marie and her Godfather Drosselmeyer's efforts to warn her about the false promises and counterfeit values that mark the transition into adult life. The production premiered on December 16, 2010 at Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia. *Christopher Wheeldon (2016) - Joffrey Ballet commissioned Christopher Wheeldon to create a working-class version of ''The Nutcracker''. Author

Brian Selznick Brian Selznick (born July 14, 1966) is an American illustrator and author best known as the writer of '' The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' (2007), '' Wonderstruck'' (2011), ''The Marvels'' (2015) and ''Kaleidoscope'' (2021). He won the 2008 Caldeco ...

was brought in to create the story. In this version, set in the 1893 Chicago's World's Fair, Marie is a daughter of Polish immigrants, and is raised by her widowed mother. The mother is a sculptress who is sculpting the golden statue of the world's fair. The second act was Marie's fantasy of the world's fair, rather than Land of the Sweets. The Impresario, the Drosselmeyer character of this version and the architect of the world's fair, took Marie to the fair. Marie's mother becomes the golden sculpture, the Sugar Plum Fairy figure of this production. In 2016, the work had its tryouts in Iowa, then premiered in Chicago. * Michael Pink's Production for Milwaukee Ballet 2003 - English Choreographer Highly regarded for its engaging narrative throughout. Drosselmeyer creates a fantasy journey in which Clara, her brother Fritz and elder sister Marie travel through with Drosselmeyer's nephew Karl. The choreographic invention is most noticeable in the snow pas de deux.

Film

''Fantasia'' (1940)

Selections from the ''Nutcracker Suite'' were heard in the 1940

animated film '' Fantasia''. In this film, the music from ''The Nutcracker'' is accompanied by dancing fairies,

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

s and

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

, among others and, as host

Deems Taylor Joseph Deems Taylor (December 22, 1885 – July 3, 1966) was an American music critic, composer, and promoter of classical music. Nat Benchley, co-editor of ''The Lost Algonquin Roundtable'', referred to him as "the dean of American music." Earl ...

mentions in live-action footage, the Nutcracker itself is nowhere in sight. One remark that strikes modern-day viewers strongly if they see the

roadshow theatrical release A roadshow theatrical release or reserved seat engagement is the practice of opening a film in a limited number of theaters in major cities for a specific period of time before the wide release of the film. Roadshows would generally mimic a live ...

of ''Fantasia'' (now on DVD) rather than the more commonly seen general release version, is Taylor's declaration that the full-length ''Nutcracker'' "wasn't much of a success and nobody performs it nowadays", a statement that had some validity in 1940, but is certainly not true now. (This remark was edited out of the general release version of ''Fantasia'', which began playing theatres in 1946 and is the one released on VHS.) As mentioned before, this ''suite'' should not be mistaken for the entire ''Nutcracker''. The suite used in ''Fantasia'' is a slightly altered version of the ''Nutcracker Suite'' selected by the composer. As animated in ''Fantasia'', it does not make use of a Christmas setting at all, although snow and ice are shown near the end of it. This version omits the Overture and the Marche, and the remaining dances are reordered (The accompanying animation is provided in parentheses): ::1. Danses caractéristiques :::a. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy (Dew Fairies) :::b. Chinese Dance (Chinese Mushrooms) :::c. Reed-Flutes (Blossoms) :::d. Arabian Dance (Goldfish) :::e. Russian Dance (Thistles and Orchids) ::2. Waltz of the Flowers (Autumn Fairies, Frost Fairies & Snow Fairies)

''Schelkunchik'' (1973)

''Schelkunchik'' (''Nutcracker'') is a 1973 Russian animated short based on the story with no dialogue, and features Tchaikovsky's music, not only from ''The Nutcracker'', but also from '' Swan Lake'' and '' The Sleeping Beauty''. In this version the heroine is not Clara, the daughter of a distinguished Town Council President, but a lonely chambermaid who works in a large house. When she kisses the Nutcracker, he comes to life, but is ashamed of his appearance. He must fight the Mouse King in order to break the spell placed upon him and become a Prince again. Dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov featured this version in his PBS television series ''

Stories from My Childhood Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet Latvian-born Russian-American dancer, choreograp ...

''. The U.S. telecast added narration by Shirley MacLaine.

''Nutcracker: The Motion Picture'' (1986)

The film ''Nutcracker: The Motion Picture'' (referred to in the film credits as ''Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker'') is a feature film based on Kent Stowell's 1983 production of ''The Nutcracker'' with sets and costume designs by Maurice Sendak and narration by

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

as the adult voice of Clara. Directed by Carroll Ballard, it was released nationwide in the U.S. on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

, in 1986. As in the stage version, Clara was played by a young girl ( Vanessa Sharp) during the Christmas party and the Battle with the Mice, and an adult dancer ( Patricia Barker) throughout the remainder of the ballet (until Clara awakens from her dream). The Nutcracker and the Nutcracker Prince were also played by two dancers in the film: Jacob Rice before the toy's transformation into a Prince, and Wade Walthall throughout the rest of the film. The "Overture" shows Drosselmeyer in his workshop coming up with the idea for and then actually creating/building his special Christmas present. This version introduces hints of sexual tension between Clara and Drosselmeyer; during the Christmas Party, Clara is visibly uneasy around Drosselmeyer, who seems to be leering at her, and at one point even shrinks from his touch. In the dream sequence, there is an obvious rivalry between the Pasha (Drosselmeyer's dream counterpart) and the Nutcracker Prince as the Pasha tries to get Clara to sit with him, against the wishes of the Nutcracker Prince. The ending of the film departs from the stage version. As Clara and her Prince slowly swirl around wrapped in each other's arms while the ''Apotheosis'' plays, the Pasha magically levitates them higher and higher into the air as the other dancers wave goodbye. Suddenly, the jealous Pasha points his finger at the couple, which magically causes them to let go of each other. They suddenly begin to freefall, and the Prince again becomes a nutcracker. Just as both are about to hit the ground and presumably be seriously injured or killed, Clara (a young girl again) is jolted awake from her dream. In the film, the ''Final Waltz'' is heard during the closing credits (although the ''Apotheosis'' is performed during the last moments of the ballet). Drosselmeyer is sleeping at his work desk (with the presumption that the dream was not Clara's but his), on which we see the dancers performing the waltz.

''The Nutcracker Prince'' (1990)

In 1990, a Canadian animated version, ''The Nutcracker Prince'', starring the voices of Kiefer Sutherland,

Megan Follows Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows (born March 14, 1968) is a Canadian-American actress and director. She is known for her role as Anne Shirley in the 1985 Canadian television miniseries '' Anne of Green Gables'' and its two sequels. From 201 ...

, and Peter O'Toole, among others, was released. This one also used Tchaikovsky's music, but was actually a straightforward full-length animated cartoon, not a ballet film. The plot follows E.T.A. Hoffmann's original storyline in having the Nutcracker actually be Drosselmeyer's nephew (named Hans in this version), and having Clara meet him in real life at the end. The fantasy elements really do occur in this film version, as in Hoffmann's story. New characters (one of them voiced by Peter O'Toole) are added to the plot.

''George Balanchine's The Nutcracker'' (1993)

In 1993, George Balanchine's version for the New York City Ballet served as the basis for a full-length feature film called ''George Balanchine's The Nutcracker'', made by Electra Entertainment and

Regency Enterprises Regency Enterprises (commonly referred to as Regency onscreen and copyrighting as Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. in the U.S. and Monarchy Enterprises S.á.r.l. overseas) is an American entertainment company formed by Arnon Milchan. It was foun ...

. It was distributed and released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

The film was directed by

Emile Ardolino Emile Ardolino (May 9, 1943 – November 20, 1993) was an American television and film director and producer, best known for his work on the films '' Dirty Dancing'' (1987) and ''Sister Act'' (1992). He has won an Academy Award for Best Document ...

, with narration spoken by Kevin Kline. The cast includes Jessica Lynn Cohen as Marie,

Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; ) is an American actor. Often regarded as one of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, he was placed 2nd on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid-Stars". Culkin rose to prom ...

as the Nutcracker, the Prince, and Drosselmeyer's nephew,

Darci Kistler Darci Kistler (born June 4, 1964) is an American ballerina. She is often said to be the last muse for choreographer George Balanchine. Early life Kistler was born in Riverside, California, the fifth child (with four older brothers) of a medic ...

as the Sugar Plum Fairy,

Kyra Nichols Kyra Nichols (born July 2, 1958) is an American retired ballet dancer and teacher. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1979. She is one of the last dancers to have worked with George Balanchine, a ...

as Dew-Drop, Damian Woetzel as the Fairy's Cavalier, and Wendy Whelan as Coffee. The film was criticized by James Berardinelli for not capturing the excitement of a live performance, stating that it "opts to present a relatively mundane version of the stage production... utilizing almost none of the advantages offered by the (film) medium." Roger Ebert of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' criticized the film for not adapting the dance for a film audience and also its casting of Culkin who, he writes, "seems peripheral to all of the action, sort of like a celebrity guest or visiting royalty, nodding benevolently from the corners of shots." In ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', Lucy Linfield echoed Ebert's criticism of Culkin, stating that "it's not so much that he can't act or dance; more important, the kid seems to have forgotten how to smile... All little Mac can muster is a surly grimace." She praised the dancing, however, as "strong, fresh and in perfect sync" and Kistler's Sugar Plum Fairy as "the Balanchinean ideal of a romantic, seemingly fragile beauty combined with a technique of almost startling strength, speed and knifelike precision." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

Stephen Holden also criticized Culkin, calling his performance the film's "only serious flaw", but praised the cinematography as "very scrupulous in the way it establishes a mood of participatory excitement, then draws back far enough so that the classic ballet sequences choreographed by Balanchine and staged by Peter Martins can be seen in their full glory."

''The Nuttiest Nutcracker'' (1999)

In 1999, a comedy version entitled '' The Nuttiest Nutcracker'' became the first computer-animated film released straight to video. An example of the skewed tone that this version took may be inferred from the fact that

Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and ...

provided the voice of an obese Sugar Plum Fairy. Some of Tchaikovsky's music was used.

''Barbie in The Nutcracker'' (2001)

This animated film uses generous chunks of Tchaikovsky's music, and is a direct-to-video digitally animated version of the story with, of course,

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...

the doll, released in 2001. (However, Barbie appears not as Clara, but as herself. Clara, though, looks exactly like Barbie, and is still the main character, and her story is told as a story-within-a-film). The film significantly alters the storyline of the Hoffmann tale, adding all sorts of perils not found in the original story, or the ballet. There is even a Stone Monster, sent by the Mouse King, that chases Clara and the Nutcracker. Drosselmeyer is not Clara's godfather but her grandfather, and is depicted as being notably grumpy. It is not Drosselmeyer who gives Clara the Nutcracker, but her aunt, and in this version, Clara is an orphan raised by her grandfather. The Nutcracker, rather than becoming a Prince after his victory in battle, must travel to the Sugar Plum Princess's castle in order for the spell to be broken; defeating the Mouse King is not enough. At the end, Clara turns out to be the Sugar Plum Princess, and her kiss breaks the spell that had been placed on the Nutcracker. Real New York City Ballet dancers were used in the production and rotoscoped in order to properly capture ballet movements - the '' Trepak'', the ''Adagio'' from the pas de deux, and the '' Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'' are performed much as they would be in a live production of ''The Nutcracker''.

Peter Martins Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and John Taras as ...

served as choreographer. In this version, the Prince asks Clara to stay on as his Queen, even telling her "I love you". But Clara is dreaming, and therefore must awaken. However, the couple is reunited in reality when Clara's aunt brings "the son of a friend" over to visit for Christmas. In this version, the Mouse King does not die until near the end. The film also features touches of (sometimes deliberately anachronistic) humor: after the battle with the mice, the Nutcracker, who has not yet regained his form as a Prince, says to Clara, "Thank you for saving my life, and for your superior nursing skills". During the early part of her adventures, Clara maintains a skeptical attitude, even saying "This is crazy" at one point.

''The Nutcracker and the Mouse King'' (2004)

In 2004, Argus International in Moscow produced an animated version of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King", based on the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The English version was released in 2005 and features the voices of

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

as the Mouse King,

Robert Hays Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947) is an American actor, known for a variety of television and film roles since the 1970s. He came to prominence around 1980, co-starring in the two-season domestic sitcom '' Angie'', and playing the central role of ...

as the mouse Squeak,

Fred Willard Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries '' W ...

as the mouse Bubble, and Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame) as the voice of Herr Drosselmeyer.

''The Secret of the Nutcracker'' (2007)

'' The Secret of the Nutcracker'', a 2007 Canadian

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

film which uses some of the ballet characters as well as Tchaikovsky's music, has never been telecast in the U.S., but has been released on DVD. This version, a dramatic film which uses a new plot, features Brian Cox as Drosselmeyer. This "retelling" is set during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and makes Clara's father a prisoner of war. Nazis also feature in this adaptation.

''The Nutcracker in 3D'' (2010)

''The Nutcracker in 3D'' (also known as ''Nutcracker: The Untold Story'') is a feature-length musical variation in 3-D on the tale set in 1920s Vienna, featuring

John Turturro John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...

as the Rat King,

Elle Fanning Mary Elle Fanning (born April 9, 1998) is an American actress. She made her film debut as the younger version of her sister Dakota Fanning's character in the drama film '' I Am Sam'' (2001). As a child actress, she appeared in several films, i ...

as Mary (rather than Clara) and

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

as a young

Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...

, here known only as Uncle Albert. Originally scheduled to be released during the Christmas holiday season of 2009, it reportedly began showing in European countries as early as February 2009, and was released in the U.S. just before Thanksgiving in 2010. The film is written and directed by

Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky (russian: link=no, Андрей Сергеевич Михалков-Кончаловский; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian filmmaker. He has worked in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian ...

. The music for the songs in this film is adapted from different works by Tchaikovsky, and the lyrics are by

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

. The film is set in 1920s Vienna. Konchalovsky evokes

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

and the SS through the Rat King and his army. The film has received nearly unanimously unfavorable reviews.

''A Nutcracker Christmas'' (2016)

''A Nutcracker Christmas'' is a Christmas film originally broadcast on the

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies a ...

in 2016. The film premiered on Lifetime December 10, 2016. It stars Amy Acker as Lily, Sascha Radetsky as Mark, Sophia Lucia as Sadie. The film presents Lily's dreams and ballet career, and leads up to her

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

performance as the Sugar Plum fairy. As a movie, only selected scenes of the entire 1892 two-act Nutcracker ballet are shown.

''The Nutcracker and the Four Realms'' (2018)

''The Nutcracker and the Four Realms'' is a 2018 American fantasy adventure film released by

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...

in the United States on November 2, 2018 in RealD 3D and Dolby Cinema. The film was directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston and written by Ashleigh Powell, and is a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Marius Petipa's ''The Nutcracker'' about a young girl who is gifted a locked egg from her deceased mother and sets out in a magical land to retrieve the key. The film stars

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

, Mackenzie Foy,

Eugenio Derbez Eugenio González Derbez (; born September 2, 1961) is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series including '' The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2 and The Secret Life of Pets.'' In the 2010s, he ap ...

, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, and

Misty Copeland Misty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African Amer ...

, with Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman.

Television Presentations

Please see the ''Stage'' section above for more information about televised versions by George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Matthew Bourne, Lew Christensen, Mark Morris, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Chemiakin, Helgi Tomasson, and Peter Wright. Other televised versions are noted below: *In 1961, then-husband-and-wife Robert Goulet and

Carol Lawrence Carol Lawrence (born Carolina Maria Laraia; September 5, 1932) is an American actress, appearing in musical theatre and on television. She is known for creating the role of Maria on Broadway in the musical '' West Side Story'' (1957), receivin ...

starred in a musical ABC-TV Christmas special entitled ''The Enchanted Nutcracker'', with a libretto by Samuel and Bella Spewack. It was directed by

Jack Smight John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include ''Harper'' (1966), '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), '' Airport 1975'' (1974), '' Midway'' (1976), and '' Fast Break ...

. Patrick Adiarte and

Pierre Olaf Pierre Olaf (14 July 1928 – 16 September 1995) was a French actor, cabaret artist, and clown. He first achieved success as a stage actor in Paris in the musical revues of Robert Dhéry. He achieved particular acclaim in Dhéry's ''Jupon Volé'' ...

co-starred. Very little information is currently available on this telecast, and no video clips have been made available, so it is difficult to know just what, if any, portions of the Tchaikovsky ballet were used. This special appears to have been notably unsuccessful, having been telecast only once and never being made available on VHS or DVD, or for that matter, online. *A made-for-TV filmed color German-American production of ''The Nutcracker'' was first telecast in the United States as a Christmas season special by CBS on December 21, 1965. Choreographed by Kurt Jacob, it featured a largely German, but still international cast made up from several companies, including

Edward Villella Edward Villella (born October 1, 1936) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. He is frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer of ballet at the time. He has won numerous awards, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Out ...

(the Nutcracker/Prince),

Patricia McBride Patricia McBride (born August 23, 1942 in Teaneck, New Jersey) is a ballerina who spent nearly 30 years dancing with the New York City Ballet. McBride joined the New York City Ballet in 1959. She became a principal in 1961, becoming the company's ...

(the dream Clara) and Melissa Hayden (the Sugar Plum Fairy) from the

. A little girl portrayed Clara in the "real" sequences. First televised in Germany in 1964, this production aired on CBS annually between 1965 and 1968, and then was withdrawn from American network television, but after more than forty years it has resurfaced nationally on a Warner Archive DVD. Videotaped "wraparound" host segments in English, made in the style of those that CBS manufactured for their 1959 and 1960's telecasts of MGM's '' The Wizard of Oz'', featured

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

(at that time starring in the CBS long-running hit '' Green Acres''), as host; he also narrated the story offscreen. These segments were added to the program for its showings in the U.S. New opening and closing credits were also added in English. All of these are included on the DVD along with the actual film. Famed German dancer Harald Kreutzberg appeared (in what was probably his last rôle) in the dual rôles of Drosselmeyer and the Snow King (though in one listing, Drosselmeyer has been re-christened Uncle Alex Hoffman — presumably a reference to E.T.A. Hoffmann, who wrote the original tale). This production cut the ballet down to a one-act version lasting slightly less than an hour, and drastically re-ordered all the dances, even to the point of altering the storyline to somewhat resemble that of ''The Wizard of Oz'', which, at that time, was an enormously successful annual attraction on U.S. network television. The Mouse King, although having turned the Prince into a Nutcracker, does not even appear in this production. Instead, as Clara's dream begins, she and the Nutcracker must now journey to the Castle of the Sugar Plum Fairy, where the Fairy will wave her wand and turn him back into a Prince. Along the way, much like ''Oz''s Dorothy, the couple encounters several fantastic characters - the waltzing snowflakes, the Russian Dancers, Mother Ginger and her Clowns, the Bluebirds, and the waltzing flowers. Villella does not wear a Nutcracker mask at all in this production; he is seen throughout as a normal-looking man, and the only way that one can tell that he has been transformed from a nutcracker into a prince is by his change in costume. The two bluebirds from Tchaikovsky's '' The Sleeping Beauty'' appear to perform the ''Dance of the Reed Flutes'' rather than ''Sleeping Beauty''s ''Bluebird Pas de Deux''. And curiously enough, the famous March is not heard during the actual ballet, but only during the new opening credits and hosting sequence devised by CBS. The March comes to a sudden halt as host Eddie Albert cracks a nut with a nutcracker that he has beside him on a table.

Battle of the Nutcrackers

Ever since 2007, Ovation TV has held their annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers" viewing contest, giving their audience a choice of which ''Nutcracker'' to choose as the best. In 2007, the competitors were George Balanchine's ''The Nutcracker'' (the 1993 film version with the New York City Ballet and Macaulay Culkin), the Bolshoi Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'', Matthew Bourne's ''Nutcracker!'' and Mark Morris' ''The Hard Nut.'' ''The Hard Nut'' was the winner.url= In 2008, the competition included six competitors: Matthew Bourne’s ''Nutcracker!'', the Bolshoi Ballet’s ''The Nutcracker'', the 1993 film version of George Balanchine’s ''The Nutcracker'', the

's '' Nutcracker: The Motion Picture'' (with designs and costumes by Maurice Sendak), Bejart’s ''Nutcracker'' and Mark Morris’ ''The Hard Nut.'' ''The Hard Nut'' won for a second year. In Ovation's 2009 Battle, the competitors were Mark Morris’ ''The Hard Nut'', the London Royal Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'', the Ballet of Monte Carlo's ''Casse Noisette Circus'' (''Casse Noisette'' is French for "Nutcracker"), the Bolshoi Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'', and Maurice Bejart's ''Nutcracker.'' Once again, the winner was ''The Hard Nut.'' The 2010 "Battle of the Nutcrackers" began its run on December 6, 2010. It included two very traditional versions - the 1989 Bolshoi Ballet's ''Nutcracker'' and the 2009 Royal Ballet '' Nutcracker'' - as well as the Berlin State Opera Ballet's ''Nutcracker'', Maurice Bejart's ''Nutcracker,'' and the Ballet of Monte Carlo's ''Casse Noisette Circus.'' The winner was the Royal Ballet version. The 2011 lineup included the following competitors: the Mariinsky's ''The Nutcracker'', the London Royal Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'', the Berlin State Opera Ballet's ''Nutcracker'', the Bolshoi Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'' and Matthew Bourne's ''Nutcracker!.'' An additional version, ''Nutcracker: The Story of Clara'', another radical reworking of the ballet, was also telecast. As in 2010, the Royal Ballet version was the winner. For 2012, contestants included the following: the London Royal Ballet's ''The Nutcracker,'' Matthew Bourne's ''Nutcracker!'', the Bolshoi Ballet's ''The Nutcracker,'' ''Nutcracker: The Story of Clara'', two Mariinsky ''Nutcracker''s (2008 and 2012 respectively), and the San Francisco Ballet's ''The Nutcracker.'' The winner was the San Francisco version. For 2013, the contestants once again included the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker,'' Matthew Bourne's ''Nutcracker!'', ''Nutcracker: The Story of Clara'', and the San Francisco Ballet's ''The Nutcracker.'' The winner, shown on December 23, was the San Francisco version. For 2014, the contestants were Youri Vamos' ''The Nutcracker: A Christmas Story'', the 2000 version of the London Royal Ballet's ''The Nutcracker'', the Bolshoi Ballet's ''Nutcracker'' and the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker''. The winner, shown on December 22, was Youri Vamos' ''The Nutcracker: A Christmas Story''. For 2015, the contestants were the 1993 film version of the New York City Ballet's ''Nutcracker'', the Dutch National Ballet's ''The Nutcracker and the Mouse King'', Das Wiener Staatsballett's 2014 ''Nutcracker'' and the Bonn Ballet's ''Nutcracker''. The winner, shown on December 21, was The Dutch National Ballet’s ''The Nutcracker And The Mouse King''. For 2016, the contestants were the

Berlin State Opera The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...

-Malakhov's 1999 ''Nutcracker'', the Bolshoi Ballet's ''Nutcracker'', the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker'', Das Wiener Staatsballett's 2014 ''Nutcracker'' and the Semperoper Ballet's ''Nutcracker''. The winner, shown on December 19, was the

-Malakhov version. For 2017, the announced contestants were the

's ''Peter Wright's The Nutcracker'', the Dutch National Ballet's ''The Nutcracker and the Mouse King'', the Semperoper Ballet's ''Nutcracker'', the

-Malakhov's 1999 ''Nutcracker'' and the

's 2016 ''Nutcracker''. The winner, announced on December 18, was again the

-Malahkov version. For 2018, the contestants were the

-Malakhov's 1999 ''Nutcracker'', the

's 2016 ''Nutcracker'', the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker'', the Czech National Ballet's 2017 ''The Nutcracker and the Cuddly Mouse'' and the Opernhaus Zurich's 2018 ''The Nutcracker''. The winner, broadcast on December 24, was the Opernhaus Zurich production. For 2019, the contestants were

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direc ...

's production of Peter Wright's ''Nutcracker'', the Royal Opera House's 2016 ''Nutcracker'', the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker'', the Czech National Ballet's 2017 ''The Nutcracker and the Cuddly Mouse'' and the Opernhaus Zurich's 2018 ''The Nutcracker''. For 2020, the contestants are the Mariinsky's 2012 ''Nutcracker'', the Czech National Ballet's 2017 ''The Nutcracker and the Cuddly Mouse'' and the Opernhaus Zurich's 2018 ''The Nutcracker''. The 2021 version features the Redondo ballets version. The 2021 version was the last year to do so

Other Versions

Animated

In addition to the ones mentioned above, there have been several other animated versions of the original story, but none can really be actually considered an animated version of the ballet itself. All of these invent characters that appear neither in the original E.T.A. Hoffmann story nor in the ballet. *In 1979, a stop-motion puppet version, entitled ''

Nutcracker Fantasy is a Japanese-American stop motion animated film produced by Sanrio, very loosely based on Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet ''The Nutcracker'' and E.T.A. Hoffmann's 1816 story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It is directed by Takeo Nakamura and writ ...

'', was released, using some of the Tchaikovsky music. This version featured the voices of Christopher Lee as Drosselmeyer, and

Melissa Gilbert Melissa Ellen Gilbert (born May 8, 1963) is an American actress, television director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. Gilbert began her career as a child actress in the late 1960s, appearing in numerous co ...

as Clara. *'' Care Bears: The Nutcracker'' was a 1988 animated short based extremely loosely on the original ballet. It was made for video, and was first shown on TV on the Disney Channel. *The

Jetlag Productions Jetlag Productions was an American animation studio that, like the similar studio Golden Films, has created a number of animated films based on different, popular children's stories, while creating a few original productions. Produced mainly for ...

animation studio produced its own version of the story in 1994 entitled, simply ''"

"''. The animated adaptation used some of Tchaikovsky's compositions as well as some original melodies and songs.

''The Nutcracker'' on Ice

Various versions of the ballet featuring ice-skating have been made: *In ''The Nutcracker: a Fantasy on Ice'', a television adaptation for

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

from 1983 starring

Dorothy Hamill Dorothy Stuart Hamill (born July 26, 1956) is a retired American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion and 1976 World champion in ladies' singles. Early life Hamill was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Chalmers and Carol Hamill. Her fat ...

and

Robin Cousins Robin Cousins, MBE (born 17 August 1957) is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980. He was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978–19 ...

, narrated by

Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; 12 February 1915 – 11 September 1987) was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Ad ...

, and telecast on HBO, Tchaikovsky's score underwent not only reordering, but also insertion of music from his other ballets and also of music from

Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Ипполи́тов-Ива́нов; 28 January 1935) was a Russian and Soviet composer, conductor and teacher. His music ranged from the late-Romantic era ...

's '' Caucasian Sketches''. Drosselmeyer did not appear at all in this version. Some years later, Ms. Hamill and then-husband Kenneth Forsythe produced a more complete ice ballet version for the stage, which was broadcast (in somewhat abridged form) in 1990 on

's Sportsworld, co-narrated by Hamill herself and

Merlin Olsen Merlin Jay Olsen (; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football Le ...

. This version featured Nathan Birch as the Prince, J. Scott Driscoll as the Nutcracker, and Tim Murphy as Drosselmeyer. *Another ice skating version, 1994's ''Nutcracker on Ice'', starring

Oksana Baiul , altname= Oksana Baiul-Farina , birth_date= , birth_place=Dnipro, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union , residence= , height= , formercoach= Galina Zmievskaya Valentyn Nikolayev Stanislav Koritek , formerchoreographer= Sarah Kawahara , formertra ...

as Clara and Victor Petrenko as Drosselmeyer, was originally telecast on

, and is now shown on several cable stations. It was also condensed to slightly less than an hour, radically altering and compressing both the music and the storyline. *Still another one-hour ice skating version, also called ''Nutcracker on Ice'', was staged on television in 1995, starring

Peggy Fleming Peggy Gale Fleming (born July 27, 1948) is an American former figure skater and the only American in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France to bring home a Gold Medal. She is the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies' singles and a three-time W ...

as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nicole Bobek as Clara, and

Todd Eldredge Todd James Eldredge (born August 28, 1971) is an American former competitive figure skater. He is the 1996 World champion, a six-time U.S. national champion (1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002), a three-time Olympian (1992, 1998, 2002), and a ...

as the Nutcracker. *And yet another version of ''Nutcracker on Ice'', this one starring

Tai Babilonia Tai Reina Babilonia (born September 22, 1959) is an American former pair skater. Together with Randy Gardner, she won the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships and five U.S. Figure Skating Championships (1976–1980). The pair qualified for ...

as Clara and Randy Gardner as the Nutcracker/ Prince, was released straight-to-video in 1998, appearing on DVD in 2007. *Another edition of ''Nutcracker on Ice'', also only an hour in length, was made in 1996 and was telecast in some areas in December 2009.

Debi Thomas Debra Janine Thomas (born March 25, 1967) is an American former figure skater and physician. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Her rivalry with East Germany's Katarina Witt ...

appears as the Snow Queen, Calla Urbanski is Clara, Rocky Marval is the Nutcracker/ Prince, and

Rudy Galindo Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo (born September 7, 1969) is an American former competitive figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion, 1987 World Junior Champion, and 199 ...

is Drosselmeyer. Music from other works by Tchaikovsky is added, and many of the ''divertissement'' dances are cut.

Satirical versions

*One satirical version involves a group of

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

boys constructing a show involving the "nut cracker". The stage version involves a chorus of singing parts and various out-of-character renditions of "fairies" and "dancing flowers" *In 2008, The Slutcracker made its debut at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA. The ballet, a satirical burlesque version of the classic, produced, choreographed and directed by Vanessa White (A.K.A. Sugar Dish) featured Boston-area actors, burlesque and can-can dancers, drag kings, hoopers, ballerinas, acrobats, and bellydancers. The plot recasts Clara as an adult, the "slutcracker" as an adult toy, and the rat king antagonist as her jealous boyfriend. Because of the show's sell-out popularity it has been booked at the same venue for extended performances in 2009, 2010, and for a limited run at the

Théâtre Saint-Denis Théâtre Saint-Denis is a theatre located on Saint Denis Street in Montreal, Quebec, in the city's Quartier Latin. A movie theatre built in 1915 by Anglin-Norcross Ltd., the Théâtre Saint-Denis' mission changed in the 1980s and has since focu ...

in Montréal.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nutcracker, List Of Productions Of The Lists of ballet stagings

List A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...

Russian ballet