The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker returns to the Kauffman Center this holiday season, running from November 28 through December 24. It's a Kansas City Ballet production based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale, with choreography by Artistic Director Devon Carney and Peter I. Tchaikovsky's score performed live by the Kansas City Symphony. Carney's version premiered in 2015, and it celebrated its tenth staging last season.

One of the things that sets this production apart is how much of it comes from the Kansas City Ballet School. Around 175 students take the stage, the most student representation of any KC Ballet production. It's a big part of why the show has become such a local tradition—you're seeing the school's dancers alongside the company.

Bank of America is the presenting sponsor, a partnership now in its second decade. Over those years, the production has grown into a significant economic engine for the community, bringing in more than $3 million in annual economic impact and drawing over 27,000 visitors from outside the area each year.

If you're looking for a specific night, there's a sensory-friendly performance on Thursday, December 3, and the run closes on Christmas Eve. Single tickets start at $39 plus fees, and there's a Family VIP Experience for $204 per ticket. The show plays at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre inside the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.