The Story of Nutcracker

ACT ONE

The curtain rises on a Christmas Eve party at the home of the Mayor, his wife, and their children, Clara and Fritz. Everyone is engaged in games and dancing when old Herr Drosselmeyer arrives with his handsome nephew. At first the children are afraid of Drosselmeyer, but their fear disappears when they discover what the old man has brought: a life-size porcelain doll and a soldier doll! Drosselmeyer distributes toy swords and trumpets to the boys and dolls to all the girls...all except Clara. Drosselmeyer gives her a colorful Nutcracker. Fritz grabs for the Nutcracker and breaks it. Drosselmeyerʼs nephew helps Clara tuck the broken Nutcracker into her doll's bed. The guests leave and the family retires for the night.

As the empty living room grows dark, Clara returns for one last look at the Nutcracker. She falls asleep on the sofa and a magic spell creeps over the room. Giant mice appear from behind the fireplace. Child-size toy soldiers pursue the mice. The Christmas tree grows very tall. The room changes and everything disappears except the now-giant Nutcracker who leads the toy soldiers against the mice. Clara wakes up and helps the Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King. The Nutcracker turns into a handsome prince, and he and Clara glide away. As they pass through the forest, the King and Queen of Snowflakes and their swirling subjects dance a splendid waltz.

ACT TWO

Clara and her Prince journey to the Kingdom of Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy and her court await. The Sugar Plum shows the young couple to a pair of thrones and the whole kingdom comes to entertain them. There are dances from faraway lands, Mother Ginger and her Clown Children, the Waltz of the Flowers and the grand pas de deux. The entire court joins in a final waltz, and the curtain falls as Clara climbs into the swan boat and sails home once more.