George Balanchine’s

The Nutcracker®

December 10-18, 2022 | Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts & Hershey Theatre

Let the Holiday Magic Come to Life with George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker! 

Whether a holiday tradition or a first-time discovery, ‘The Nutcracker’ is an annual gift every family will want to be part of!

Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet has been hosting a Nutcracker performance yearly since 1965. Shortly after starting, CPYB became the only school in the world with the license to perform George Balanchine’s Nutcracker. Since then, ours has been one of the most sought-after Nutcracker performances to attend or participate in. This performance is enjoyable for the whole family. 

Performance Length: Act I – 49 min. — Act II – 41 min.

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Experience the Magic at our Nutcracker Show! 

Savor the magic of the holidays with a treat for the whole family, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®!

Whitaker Center

When:
Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 1:00PM & 5:00PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 2:00PM

Pricing*:
Level 1: $48 Adult $48 Child 
Level 2: $40 Adult $35 Child
Level 3: $30 Adult $25 Child

Where:
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Harrisburg, PA

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Hershey Theatre*

When:
Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 1:00PM & 5:00PM
Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 2:00PM

Pricing*:
Level 1: $50 Adult $50 Child
Level 2: $45 Adult $40 Child
Level 3: $35 Adult $30 Child

Where:
Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA

Hershey Theatre Box Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday, 9AM -12PM in person. The venue’s box office will also open at 12PM day of show. Tickets are not sold over the phone. Tickets can be purchased on www.ticketmaster.com at anytime.

Purchase Tickets

*Prices above do NOT reflect a $6.00 service fee applied to each ticket purchased.

*Disclaimer : To purchase tickets, please visit: HersheyTheatre.com. Ticketmaster is the only authorized site to sell tickets to CPYB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Tickets to Hershey Theatre are no longer being sold over the phone. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts has implemented the use of hand-held metal detection wands for all guests and recommends that guests arrive at least 45-60 minutes prior to the scheduled event time. Guests are encouraged to leave bags and non-essential items secured in their vehicles. Please note, bags must be 5″x8″x1″ or smaller. 

Explore

The brilliant dancers of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet bring Balanchine’s winter classic to life with larger-than-life sets and dazzling costumes set to the magical music of Tchaikovsky.

The first Nutcracker performance was in 1892 by the Moscow Imperial Theatre and later made its appearance in the United States in 1944. The story is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffman fantasy about a girl, Marie, befriending a Nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and battles the Mouse King. This memorable story connects with everyone from children to adults and leaves everyone feeling in the holiday spirit.

Synopsis

Production Credits

Ballet in two acts, four scenes and prologue

Based on: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) by E.T.A. Hoffman
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: George Balanchine
Répétiteur: Darla Hoover
Scenery: C. David Higgins, Carlos I. Arditti

Thank you to our Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor
Don and Marjie Mowery and Mowery 

Season Underwriter
F&M Trust

 

Synopsis

ACT ONE
It’s a snowy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum home, and Dr. and Frau Stahlbaum and their children, Marie and Fritz, are welcoming their guests to a holiday party. There are games and gifts for the children, and dancing for everyone. Marie’s beloved godfather, Herr Drosselmeier, introduces her to his young nephew and gives her a wonderful present: a handsome wooden Nutcracker. 

After the party, Marie falls asleep on the sofa with her Nutcracker. Suddenly, she sits up—something is not right. Out of nowhere, giant mice scurry into the room, and the Christmas tree begins to grow, higher and higher, until it towers over Marie. Everything in the room disappears except for Fritz’s toy soldiers and the Nutcracker—all now as big as Marie. The Nutcracker leads the toy soldiers into battle with the mice, and Marie helps him by throwing her slipper at the fierce Mouse King, who the Nutcracker then slays. Now that the Mouse King is dead, an ancient spell has been broken, and the Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome prince. As he presents Marie with the Mouse King’s crown, she recognizes him as Herr Drosselmeier’s nephew. The children enter a beautiful forest, where the snowflakes dance a lovely waltz and guide Marie and the Prince toward the Christmas Star.

ACT TWO
Marie and the Prince arrive in the Land of Sweets and are greeted by the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy and all the other inhabitants of her realm. The Prince tells the story of the battle with the mice, describing how Marie helped him defeat the Mouse King. Everyone is delighted that the Prince and Marie are safe, and the Sugarplum Fairy leads them to a glittering throne, where they can enjoy cakes and candies. Everyone dances for the two children: Hot Chocolate from Spain, Chinese Tea, Coffee from Arabia, the Candy Canes, the Marzipan Shepherdesses, and Mother Ginger, with her eight little Polichinelles. Then comes the Waltz of the Flowers, with a shimmering Dewdrop Fairy dancing among the lovely blooms, and finally, the Sugarplum Fairy returns with her Cavalier to perform a majestic dance.

It’s time for Marie and the Prince to say goodbye to their friends and sail off together to lands unknown.