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George Balanchine's The Nutcracker is a 1993 film adaptation of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. Originally distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures through their Family Entertainment label, as part of the company's deal from Regency Enterprises, the rights are currently handled by 20th Century Studios (now owned by Disney) through their exclusive partnership with Regency.

Synopsis[]

Act I[]

On Christmas Eve, a Christmas party is to be held in the home of Dr. and Frau Stahlbaum. Their children, Marie and Fritz, can't wait to enter the living room and see the Christmas tree for the first time. Finally, they are ushered in, all the guests arrive, and the party begins.

Suddenly Marie's godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, enters with his young nephew, who is her age. He performs several magic tricks and then shows the children the wondrous life-size toys he brought, including a Harlequin and Columbine. They dance and the children are delighted. Then Drosselmeyer produces a smaller gift, a nutcracker made in the style of an old man. Marie is enchanted with it and claims it as her own, but Fritz snatches it away from her and deliberately breaks it out of jealousy. Marie is heartbroken, but Drosselmeyer comforts her. The party ends with the "Grandfather Waltz". The guests leave and Marie and Fritz go to bed.

But Marie can't sleep. She creeps downstairs, picks up the nutcracker, and falls asleep with it on the sofa. Frau enters and lovingly covers her with a blanket. Then Drosselmeyer appears on top of the grandfather clock. He picks up the nutcracker, repairs it, and then leaves.

Marie awakens to see life-size mice invading the living room. The Christmas tree magically grows to giant size, as does the dollhouse. The toys come to life, including the Nutcracker, who Marie awakens just as one would awaken a sleeping parent. He grabs his sword and joins the battle. He fights a duel with the Mouse King, and just as it seems that he is about to lose, Marie throws her slipper at the Mouse King, killing him, and faints.

The Nutcracker suddenly turns into a Prince, who looks just like Drosselmeyer's nephew. He had been turned into a nutcracker by the evil Mouse King, and only by whose death could he regain his human form. He goes to the dead Mouse King and, with his sword, cuts the crown off his head. The dollhouse bed on which Marie has fainted then begins to move by itself as if by magic and finds its way into a snow-covered forest. Holding the crown, the Prince goes to Marie, awakens her, and places it on her head. Hand in hand, they walk off into the forest. The falling snowflakes now assume human form and come to life, and they dance the Snowflake Waltz.

Act II[]

Marie and the Prince arrive at the Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy. He explains to her what has happened in pantomine. In honor of Marie's bravery, a series of dances are performed by living candies - the Spanish Hot Chocolate, the Arabian Coffee, the Chinese Tea, the Trepak (Candy Canes), the Dance of the Reed Flutes (led by Marzipan), the Dance of the Clowns (performed by Mother Ginger and her children, the Polichinelles), and the Waltz of the Flowers (led by Dewdrop). Then the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a pas de duex containing the beautiful Adagio. As the festivities end, the Sugar Plum Fairy kisses Marie goodbye, the Prince bows to her, and he and Marie fly off in a reindeer-drawn sleigh as everyone waves goodbye.

Ensamble[]

Actor/actress Character(s)
Darci Kistler The Sugar Plum Fairy
Damian Woetzel The Sugar Plum Fairy's Cavalier
Kyra Nichols Dewdrop
Wendy Whelan Coffee
Margaret Tracey Marzipan
Gen Horiuchi
Miriam Mahdaviani
Immaculada Velez
Tea
Tom Gold
Alexandra Ansanelli
Ellen Barr
Natalia Boesch
Charnie Carter
Tatiana Grigorenko
Scheherazade Madan
Carrie Riggins
Candy Canes
Lourdes López
Nilas Martins
Janey McGeary
Sabrina Pillars
Teresa Reyes
Santhe Tsetsilas
Albert Evans
Russell Kaiser
Gordon Stevens
Rusheng Ying
Hot Chocolate
William Otto Mother Ginger
Peter Reznick Fritz Stahlbaum
Karin von Aroldingen
Edward Bigelow
Grandparents
Heather Watts Frau Stahlbaum
Robert LaFosse Dr. Stahlbaum
Bart Robinson Cook Herr Drosselmeyer
Jessica Lynn Cohen Marie Stahlbaum
Macaulay Culkin Drosselmeyer's Nephew
Kevin Kline (voice) Narrator
Katrina Killian Harlequin
Roma Sosenko Columbine
Michael Byars Soldier
Robert D. Lyon Mouse King
Helene Alexopoulos
Lauren Hauser
Melinda Roy
Stephanie Saland
Simone Schumacher
Deborah Wingert
Lindsay Fischer
Kipling Houston
Peter Naumann
Alexandre Proia
Jock Soto
Eriends Zieminch
Parents
Kimberly Cortes Child/Angel/Soldier
Eve Harrison
Petra Hoerner
Ashley Siebert
Kielley Young
Angels/Children
Miriam Peterson Child/Soldier
Misha Braun
Alex Wiesendanger
Children
Alexander Levine
Igor Odessky
Andrei Vitoptov
Children/Mice
Priscilla Pellecchia Teenager/Candy Cane
Robert Wersinger Teenager
Zippora Karz
Julie Michael
Maids
Emily Coates
Wendy Drapala
Elizabeth Drucker
Amanda Edge
Pauline Golbin
Dena Kistlinger
Margo Krody
Anna Leceica
Andrea Long
Zoe Mackler
Deanna McBrearty
Catherine Ryan
Pascale Van Kipnis
Elizabeth Walker
Miranda Weese
Snowflakes
Michelle Gifford Snowflake/Flower
Yvonne Burree
Jennifer Fuchs
Isabel Kimmel
Jennifer Tinsley
Shepherdesses
Stacey Calvert
Kathleen Tracey
Jade Adams
Samantha Allen
Aura Dixon
Tatiana Garcia-Stefanovich
Dana Hanson
Lydia Harmsen
Heather Hawk
Romy Karz
Sherri LeBlanc
Monique Meunier
Jenifer Ringer
Flowers
Kira Bosch
Sarah Brodsky
Alexis Doktor
Brynn Jinnett
Glenn Keenan
Marina Squerciati
Halley Zien
Polichinelles/Mice
Dana Genshaft Soldier/Mouse
Jessica Goodrich
Danielle Gordon
Sarah Mendell
Abigail Mentzer
Annie Ostrager
Rachel Paukman
Zoe Zien
Christopher Boehmer
James Fayette
Espen Giljane
Arch Higgins
Jerome Kipper
Richard Marsden
Bruce Padgett
Todd Williams
Mice
Jennifer Barton
Vivian Chi
Katherine Daines
Lauren D'Avella
Scarlett Johnson
Jenny Raim
Diana Townsend-Butterworth
Soldiers

External links[]

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