One of my very favorite Christmas traditions is going to see The Nutcracker. I love the music anyway, but seeing it come to life on stage is just, well, magic!  The icing on this sugarplum cake is that the Huntsville Ballet Company’s production is accompanied by the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, so you get TWO amazing performances blended into one. That’s what I call value packed!

A Holiday Classic 

I don’t remember the first time I heard the music, but I know that when I was really young we had the album and when my mom played it, I knew Christmas was very close.

So what is it about this performance that just never gets old? Even though I know what’s coming up, I enjoy that anticipation. It’s like reading a favorite book, or watching a favorite movie; you kind of get attached to the characters, which means there are also favorite scenes, and in this case, songs.

Favorite Nutcracker Moments

Some of my favorite Nutcracker moments: The party scene. Huntsville Ballet always has a surprise guest or two mixed in…be on the look out for people you know (like Huntsville Mayor, Tommy Battle on Sunday at 1pm!); the Snow scene…I love that choreography; Sugar Plum fairy – the song is one of my favorites! I love Coffee, Arabian and Chinese dances…oh and Spanish. The year my daughter was a baby mouse, I loved the baby mice the most.

Oh, and if you are a Nutcracker old-timer, you might be interested to know that this year, there will be a one time only performance of The Nutcracker Gone Wild. Without giving away any surprises, I will say that it’s going to be awesome in a completely different way. Same story and music and dancers….but with lots of little extras thrown in…as the posters say, Expect the Unexpected.

Tradition: Old or New

So if you are looking for a family Christmas Tradition to start or if this is part of your schedule already, The Nutcracker will not disappoint. If you are active or retired military, you can even see if for free on Thursday, December 6,  Huntsville Ballet’s Military Night, just show your military ID at the door, be there at 6pm.

Bonus! Our Valley Events is giving away a pair of tickets to see the Nutcracker so you can start your own family tradition. Enter below.

Ticket Giveaway

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Event Information

Dates and Times:
Friday, December 7th at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 8th at  2:00 pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, December 9th at 1:00pm
Special Nutcracker Gone Wild show Sunday, December 9th at 5:00pm
Location: Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the VBC
Cost: Prices vary according to seats. Visit the Huntsville Ballet Company website for more information
Tickets: Available online here or by calling the box office at 256-539-0961