BalletMet's holiday production of The Nutcracker, with live music by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and a live chorus, at the Ohio Theatre.
BalletMet brings The Nutcracker back to the Ohio Theatre this December, a production that's been a Columbus holiday fixture since at least 1974. It's the full-length ballet set to Tchaikovsky's score, and it's a big one: the professional company is joined on stage by more than 160 students from the BalletMet Academy, with over 122 characters in total. The whole thing runs about an hour and 50 minutes, split by a 20-minute intermission, and it's known for its lavish sets and a final scene that's unique to the Columbus version.
There's a fair bit of history behind this particular staging. It was co-created by Gerard Charles, who danced for Ballet International and Milwaukee Ballet before serving as BalletMet's Artistic Director from 2001 to 2012, and by Robert Post. Artistic Director Edwaard Liang describes it as a 40-year-old family tradition in the city, and that's a good way to put it—it's one of those things that a lot of people around here have seen year after year. The music is live, provided by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and a live chorus.
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If you're bringing kids who might struggle with a nearly two-hour show, there's a shorter My First Nutcracker version for younger audiences. Otherwise, the full production plays three dates: December 10 at 7:30 PM, December 12 at 12 PM and 5:30 PM, and December 17 at 7:30 PM. All of them are at the Ohio Theatre, downtown.
