Joffrey's THE NUTCRACKER Returns For The Holidays

The Joffrey Ballet's reimagined holiday classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to Chicago during the Joffrey's first-ever season at the historic Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago at 20 North Upper Wacker Drive, in 28 performances, December 4 - 26, 2021.

Wheeldon's American tale relocates Marie and her immigrant family to the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and opens as young Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the Fair's iconic Statue of the Republic, host a festive Christmas Eve celebration. After a surprise visit from the mysterious Great Impresario, creator of the Fair, Marie embarks on a whirlwind adventure with the Nutcracker Prince through a dreamlike World's Fair.

A ballet in two acts set to Tchaikovsky's classic score, The Nutcracker also features design by an award-winning creative team, including Tony Award-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author and illustrator Brian Selznick, six-time Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy.

The world premiere of Wheeldon's The Nutcracker took place in 2016 at the Auditorium Theatre. To readapt the production to fit its new home at the Lyric Opera House, several modifications are being made such as replacing manual snow bags with Lyric Opera's automated snow drum, finessing the production's signature large-scale animated projections, and much more.

The Nutcracker features live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

Single tickets start at $35 and are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet's official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street and by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

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