It premiered in December 1892 in the legendary Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, The Nutcracker became a holiday tradition all over the world. Along with Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, the play is one of the most celebrated Tchaikovsky's ballets.
The story is inspired by the famous tale of E.T.A. Hoffmanns "The Nutcracker and the King of the Rats", published in 1819, though what gave life to Tchaikovsky's Ballet was an adaptation from a text by Alexandre Dumas. The original choreography was by Lev Ivanov and the libretto by Marius Petipa.
The story takes place in Germany, in the home of a respectable Judge named Stahlbaum, during Christmas celebrations. The couple and their children, Clara, Luisa, and Fritz, receive guests and relatives, among them the old Drosselmeyer, an eccentric bachelor and a lover of magic. He gives Clara a very special gift: a wooden nutcracker. Fascinated with her new toy, the girl falls asleep embracing the wooden doll. In the middle of the night, Clara awakes: the toys have come to life and she finds herself being chased by an army of rats. A battle happens between the rats and the soldiers, led by the Nutcracker.
Once the dream is over Clara awakens in her house next to her doll.
A dreamy odd to the perpetual longing for our lost childhood, The Nutcracker is a classic that nobody should miss. Both a creative and a colourful play, in which the imaginary world and the memorable music of Tchaikovsky make this play one of the most represented ballets in the world. It's enchanting.
This time, the story will be performed by the Russian Classical Ballet Company.
Tickets here
Coliseu dos Recreios, Rua Portas de Santo Antão, Lisbon, Portugal
Get Directions