The Nutcracker
Appalachian Ballet Company 54th Season
Come enjoy the magic of this holiday classic with the Appalachian Ballet Company and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. ABC celebrates 50 years of live music with the Knoxville Symphony, James Fellenbaum conducting.
Lavish sets, scenery and costumes with over 100 dancers performing, 45 musicians and 40 backstage crew and many volunteers create the magic. Act one features a colorful holiday party and a pristine crisp snow scene. Act two showcases dancers in the castle of The Land of the Sweets featuring the Sugarplum Fairy, Laura Morton La Russa.
The popularity of The Nutcracker is immense so get your tickets today! This family friendly ballet provides an unforgettable spark to everyone's holiday season.
The show runs approximately two hours including the 20 minute intermission.
ACT I
The family of Dr. Stahlbaum is entertaining guests on Christmas Eve. Their children, Clara and Fritz, are excited about the Christmas gifts and party atmosphere. A knock at the door is heard and Herr Drosselmeyer, the local toymaker, enters. Among the gifts he has brought for the children are Rag Dolls, a ballerina music box doll and toy soldier dolls. He gives Clara a magical Nutcracker that he has made.
Fritz becomes jealous and breaks the Nutcracker. Herr Drosselmeyer and his apprentice repair the broken Nutcracker. Soon, the children are sent up to bed as the guests depart.
The house grows dark. Clara tiptoes into the parlor to take one last look at her beloved Nutcracker. She hears the clock strike and looks in amazement as it flaps its wings like an owl. Then a large mouse scuttles across the floor looking for crumbs from the party. The tree grows larger and larger. Soon there are mice everywhere, gnawing at everything and then the soldiers march in to join the fight. As Clara shivers with fear, the Mouse King begins to fight with
her Nutcracker, who has grown to life-size. As the Mouse King triumphs, Clara hits him, ending his power over the Nutcracker.
With the magic of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s Nutcracker now turns into a marvelous prince. Because Clara has saved his life, he invites her to go with him to the Land of Sweets. First they must pass through the beautiful Kingdom of the Snow, where they meet the Snow King and the Snow Queen.
ACT II
Clara and the Nutcracker Prince enter the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy greets them. She welcomes them and invites Clara to sit on her throne and be entertained.
The refreshments are served up as dances: Chocolate is from Spain; Coffee is from Arabia; Tea is from China; then the beautiful Marzipan Candies dance for Clara.
The Cooks enter next with Mother Ginger and her Gingerbread Children, who appear as a surprise, followed by the Candy Flowers and the Dew Drop Fairy. After these entertainments come the grandest gift of all when the Sugar Plum Fairy consents to dance with her prince. But all good things must come to an end, and the Nutcracker Prince gently takes the sleepy Clara to the beautiful sleigh, which will take her back home to her bed, where she will continue her dreams of sugar-plums.
NO Elevator access to the Balcony Level in the Auditorium
Doors open 1 hour before show time.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the KCAC Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster are subject to additional service charges. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or by the Ticketmaster app.
Additional Information:
Walk-through metal detectors are now in place and operational at all entrances. Please allow extra time to enter the building. Be prepared to remove all items such as cell phones and keys from your pockets before passing through the metal detectors. We encourage you to bring only necessary items with you in order to reduce your time entering the building.