What to Know
- "The Nutcracker," the beloved ballet, will begin its seasonal pirouette in late November at a host of regional venues
- "The Long Beach Nutcracker" will take flight beginning Dec. 16
- The Inland Pacific Ballet will call upon three cities starting on Dec. 2
Snow usually dusts parts of the Golden State weeks before the holiday season, frosting lower-elevation hills and giving our more dramatic mountains a ski-ready base.
But the most fanciful flakes, those ensorcelled bits of fluff that are both strange and wonderful, traditionally fall around late November as the first productions of "The Nutcracker" twirl onto the stages of Southern California.
The timeless ballet, with its soaring and spritely Tchaikovsky score, has become a merry mainstay in the weeks leading up to Christmas, both locally and, well, just about everywhere.
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Deciding where you'd like to point your own enchanted sleigh, all to enjoy the adventures of young Clara, a cute cavalcade of toy soldiers, and an assortment of fairies, is your next task, as several regional companies will present the iconic, inspiring, and ice-laden fable.
Ready to be whisked into a roster of remarkable realms?
A full symphony orchestra will play during the "Long Beach Ballet Nutcracker," which leaps into the Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center over several select dates, starting on Dec. 16.
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The Inland Pacific Ballet will present "A Season of 11 Magical Performances" beginning on Dec. 2 at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga. The dancers will flit to two other venues as December deepens: Bridges Auditorium in Claremont and the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside.
The Los Angeles Ballet's take on the venerable tale has a local twist: It all happens in the Los Angeles of 1912, so expect to find "hints and tastes" of our city sprinkled throughout. Several theater stops are on the 2023 schedule, including the just-added Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
The Westside Ballet of Santa Monica is celebrating "50 years of Magic" with the 2023 spectacular, which is billed as "Southern California's longest-running rendition" of the beloved ballet. Enjoy it at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage beginning Nov. 25.
The "Nutcracker for Kids" is a sweet way to introduce the show to new-to-The-Nutcracker tots, specifically those youngsters between the ages of 5 and 11. This take is "condensed" and includes a cameo by Santa at the conclusion. See it at The Segerstrom Center for the Arts on Dec. 2.
And here's something magical: "The Nutcracker" is sure to dance across other stages around our area; check with a local troupe or company you adore and find out what their holiday plans are now.
