
How long is the full length Nutcracker?
How long is the full Nutcracker? An intermission between acts is usually 20–30 minutes, meaning the actual ‘running time’ (time of the whole performance incl intermissions) is a little over two hours.
How long does The Nutcracker play last?
How Long is The Nutcracker Ballet? Performances typically last about two hours and includes an intermission. Is The Nutcracker playing in a city near me? The Nutcracker tickets are available for Green Bay, New York and many more. Browse the Vivid Seats inventory for tickets in a city near you.
How long is the average presentation of the Nutcracker ballet?
How long is the average presentation of The Nutcracker ballet? Each act, there are two, is about 50 minutes. The length of any ballet production that is set to music, is naturally as long as the musical composition itself.
What is the original story of the Nutcracker?
“The Nutcracker” was based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman called “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.” While the original story was centered around a girl named Marie and was considered dark and scary, French writer Alexandre Dumas adapted it to be much lighter. In 1892, this version was turned into the ballet.

How long is the real nutcracker ballet?
Run Time: 2 hours and 3 minutes, including a 25-minute intermission.
What is the original nutcracker?
The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.
Are there two versions of The Nutcracker?
Each of the four versions, roughly based on the 1816 tale “Nussknacker und der Mausekönig,” by E. T. A. Hoffmann, emphasizes or changes aspects of the story. Yet each works more or less effectively, even if none attain the sustained enchantment of George Balanchine's version for New York City Ballet.
How much are old nutcrackers worth?
Collectible nutcrackers can range in value from the store bought version for about $125 to the collectors type dating from the 16th Century commanding upwards of $5,000.
Is The Nutcracker Russian or German?
Nutcracker dolls originate from late-17th century Germany, particularly the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge) region. One origin story attributes the creation of the first nutcracker doll to a craftsman from Seiffen. They were often given as gifts, and at some point they became associated with Christmas season.
Which version of The Nutcracker is the best?
10 Best Nutcracker Movies (According To IMDb)6 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986) - 6.8. ... 5 The Hard Nut (1992) - 7.4. ... 4 The Bolshoi Ballet: Live From Moscow - The Nutcracker (2010) - 7.6. ... 3 The Nutcracker (1973) - 7.5. ... 2 San Fransisco Ballet's Nutcracker (2008) - 8.2. ... 1 The Nutcracker (1977) - 8.3.More items...•
Which nutcracker ballet is the best?
The Best Versions of “The Nutcracker Ballet”The Nutcracker with Baryshnikov and Kirkland (1977) – For me, this is the most classic of Nutcrackers. ... New York City Ballet (1993) – I rediscovered this one this year, and it was rather fun, seeing Mccaulay Caulkin of Home Alone fame dancing as the Nutcracker Prince.More items...•
Is The Nutcracker a difficult ballet?
It requires the dancer to perform a challenging pas de deux filled with bravura lifts, then segue into the signature "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" variation after very little rest backstage. The intricate Sugar Plum solo looks light and delicate, but it's a difficult test of a ballerina's technique and stamina.
Is the Sugar Plum Fairy evil in the original nutcracker?
In both the original story and the ballet, she was a heroic figure, while the Mouse King was the main villain. In the Disney adaptation, their roles are switched instead.
What does The Nutcracker have to do with Christmas?
According to German folklore, nutcrackers we given as keepsakes to bring luck to the family and protect the home. It is said that they represent strength and power and watches over the family keeping evil spirits and danger away.
What is the story behind The Nutcracker soldier?
Christmas Nutcracker soldiers are decorative nutcracker statues most commonly made to resemble a toy soldier. It was said that in German tradition, the dolls are symbols of good luck, frightening away malevolent spirits and protecting your home.
Is Clara the Sugar Plum Fairy?
In English National Ballet's Nutcracker, Clara herself transforms into the Sugar Plum Fairy at the end of the ballet. After her many adventures, and after the Mouse King has been defeated, she transforms into the Sugar Plum for the lavish celebration that takes place in an enchanted garden.
When was the Nutcracker first performed?
The first performance of the Christmas ballet was held as a double premiere together with Tchaikovsky’s last opera, Iolanta, around the Christmas holiday season on December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.
What is the origin of the Nutcracker?
The origin of the Nutcracker, a classic Christmas Story, is a fairy tale ballet in two acts centered on a family’s Christmas Eve celebration. Alexandre Dumas Père’s adaptation of the story by E.T.A. Hoffmann was set to music by Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa.
What is the name of the girl in the Great Russian Nutcracker?
In Hoffmann’s tale, the girl’s name is Marie or Maria, while Clara – or “Klärchen” – is the name of one of her dolls. In the Great Russian Nutcracker, she is affectionately called Masha. 1994 Great Russian Nutcracker with M Alexandrova and V Zabelin. 341.
What is the Nutcracker Suite?
The story centers on a young girl’s Christmas Eve and her awakening to the wider world and romantic love. The composer made a selection of eight of the more popular pieces before the ballet’s December 1892 premiere, forming what is currently known as the Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, as is heard in Moscow Ballet productions.
When was the first Christmas ballet performed?
The first performance of the Christmas ballet was held as a double premiere together with Tchaikovsky’s last opera, Iolanta, around the Christmas holiday season on December 18 [O.S. December 6] 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.
What is the Nutcracker ballet based on?
The last of his three ballets, it was first performed in December 1892. The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve ...
When did Tchaikovsky start his career?
Tchaikovsky began work in February 1891, continuing his efforts while on an American tour later that year for the opening of Carnegie Hall. His homeward journey took him through Paris, where he discovered a new instrument: the celesta, whose clear, bell-like tone was perfectly fitted to The Nutcracker ’s fairy-tale ambience.
Did Tchaikovsky live to see the Nutcracker?
The newspapers reviled Tchaikovsky, and he did not live to see the piece succeed. Despite the failure of its initial performance, The Nutcracker has become the most frequently performed of all ballets and has served as an introduction to classical music for many young people.
How long have nutcrackers been around?
Nutcrackers are a huge part of Christmas decorating. The most common nutcracker is the in the form of a wooden soldier, which we’ve had for about 200 years now. However, nut-cracking devices have had a long-stemming evolution for a few thousand years. Read on to learn more about the history of the nutcracker and how they evolved into today’s form.
When were nutcrackers invented?
The earliest known nutcracker tools were made in the third or fourth century B.C. Even though these are primitive in comparison to the ones we have now, they often came with decorations or engravings. These nutcrackers were designed to the shape of pliers and worked the same way. By pushing the handles against each other with the nut in between, you could crack the shell open with very little effort.
What was the next form of the nutcracker?
The next form of the nutcracker was the iron lever nutcracker of the 13 th century. Lever nutcrackers gave first shape to the modern nutcracker appliances. Much like the nutcrackers we are familiar with now, these versions started to feature animals or animal heads.
How does a nutcracker work?
Much like the lever nutcrackers, they operated by a handle in its back. When the lever is pushed down , the nutcracker’s jaw would move up and smash the nut placed in its mouth. Even though the soldier is the iconic nutcracker image, there are several classic nutcracker figurines for different parts of the world. Here are a few common ones:
Where was the wooden nutcracker made?
The standing wooden soldier nutcracker, the iconic nutcracker that we know today, was first made in the Sonneberg and Ezerberge regions of eastern Germany in the early 19 th century. In 1872, Wilhelm Fuchtner made the first commercial production of the wooden nutcrackers. Much like the lever nutcrackers, they operated by ...
When did brass nutcrackers start to surface?
Image Courtesy of eddie welker’s Flickr Page caption] Around the 14 th and 15 th centuries, brass nutcrackers started to surface. The brass nutcracker was similar to the B.C. version. These also worked in plier/handle form, except much smaller and with a more polished functionality. Around this time, the term “nutcracker” was also being used to categorize these products.
What did ancient civilizations do to open nuts?
Ancient Devices. Prior to any nutcracker device, early civilizations opened nuts with a rock. That’s right. They would simply smash a rock against the nuts to break apart shells that were too difficult to open.
When was the Nutcracker first performed?
While you may know the music, and most of us do, the first time The Nutcracker was turned into a two-act ballet was in 1892 . The choreographing was by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanova, and the now famous score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Who Wrote the Original Nutcracker?
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was a story by E.T.A. Hoffman. He was a German-born in Prussia, which is now Russia, and he was a lawyer and judge. His original story was much darker than the version we now know. His story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is about Marie Stahlbaum’s favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, which comes to life and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, takes her to a magical kingdom of dolls.
What is the story of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King?
His story of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is about Marie Stahlbaum’s favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, which comes to life and , after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, takes her to a magical kingdom of dolls. The original version of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
Who translated the Nutcracker?
The original story was translated into French. The world would probably not know of The Nutcracker if it weren’t for Alexandre Dumas. Dumas is best known for his novels The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. He was a Frenchman who took Hoffman’s original story and translated it 1844.
Was the Nutcracker successful?
Although Tchaikovsky’s original ballet was not successful, his 20-minute suite from the ballet was. What is not known is why the complete Nutcracker has enjoyed popularity. Since the 1960s the Nutcracker has been performed during the Christmas season in North America with some ballet companies receiving over 40% of their annual ticket revenues ...
Who created the Nutcracker?
No Sugar Plums Here: The Dark, Romantic Roots Of 'The Nutcracker' Few people today remember E.T.A. Hoffmann, but most everyone is familiar with his most famous creation: The Nutcracker. NPR's Robert Siegel traces the history of everyone's favorite Christmas ballet all the way back to its much darker original version.
Who is the original author of The Nutcracker?
His name used to be hugely famous, but nowadays, it draws blank stares, even from people who know that work. We're speaking about E.T.A. Hoffmann , original author of The Nutcracker. You may have seen Hoffman's name recently in Matthew Guerrieri's new book The First Four Notes: Beethoven's Fifth and the Human Imagination.
What is the original Nutcracker and Mouse King?
E.T.A. Hoffmann's original story, "Nutcracker and Mouse King," is darker and spookier than the ballet version most people know. This is the time of year when one man's work is widely — if indirectly — celebrated. His name used to be hugely famous, but nowadays, it draws blank stares, even from people who know that work.
What is the only version of The Nutcracker that Jack Zipes says captures Hoffmann's original?
And Sendak's version of The Nutcracker — with his sets and libretto — is the only version that Jack Zipes says captures Hoffmann's original spirit. Now, stories evolve from one author and one medium, to adapters and new media. But Zipes says that what has been lost from most productions of The Nutcracker is Hoffmann's very attitude about ...
