The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Friday, Dec. 23 at 8 p.m.

Conceived by Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winner John Mauceri, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING is a delightful reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s perennial holiday favorite, The Nutcracker.

Based on the original E.T.A. Hoffmann novella published in 1816, this new musical production features Alan Cumming recounting the three-part tale: the Nutcracker’s origin story, the well-known events on Christmas Eve, and what happens to the girl and the prince after the beloved ballet ends.

Commentary from Mauceri provides additional context for the history behind this classic, pointing out that Hoffmann’s original narrative is about a young girl who saves a prince—the opposite of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White.

“It makes for a great tale, one that is both familiar and unknown,” said Mauceri. “Perhaps it can do what Hoffmann intended: encourage children to follow their dreams and never stop believing in the power of imagination and the possibility that we can all live together in raucous harmony and understanding.”