A holiday tradition in Seattle, this production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker is performed by the Pacific Northwest Ballet with the live PNB Orchestra.
Pacific Northwest Ballet brings The Nutcracker back to the Phelps Center starting November 27, 2026, with performances running through December 27. It's the George Balanchine version, the one that's become a Seattle holiday tradition since PNB first staged it in 2015.
If you're not familiar with the history, this isn't just any Nutcracker. It was choreographed by Balanchine—the Russian-born dancer and choreographer who lived from 1904 to 1983—to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's score, with sets and costumes by Ian Falconer. It premiered on February 2, 1954, with the New York City Ballet. Balanchine had come to the U.S. in late 1933 at the invitation of patron Lincoln Kirstein, and together they went on to found the School of American Ballet in 1934 and the New York City Ballet in 1948. He served as ballet master and principal choreographer there until he died in 1983, and The Nutcracker is one of more than 400 works he left behind, alongside Serenade, Orpheus, Agon, and Vienna Waltzes.
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In Seattle, the production is performed with the live PNB Orchestra, so you're hearing Tchaikovsky played in the room rather than from a recording. The whole thing runs two hours and three minutes, which includes a 25-minute intermission—plenty of time to stretch your legs and grab a drink before the second half. With the run stretching from late November through nearly all of December, there are plenty of dates to choose from, whether you want to get it out of the way early or wait until closer to the holiday.
