Among the many Nutcrackers this holiday season will be Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker, the third outing for the re-imagined dance, and Orlando Community Arts’ Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker.
What would the holiday season be without The Nutcracker? We don’t know and we’re not going to find out this year. Tchaikovsky’s immortal ballet-féerie (fairy play) will be produced, in one form or another, four times locally, with each version offering its own unique slant on the story of one broken toy and a magical night of globetrotting dreams.
First out of the gate will be Central Florida Ballet, which will mount A Christmas Nutcracker Tale (Friday, November 21, 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 22, 2 and 6 p.m., Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center).
The company had performed a lavish version of the ballet 23 times before updating it in 2024 to reflect current geopolitical sensitivities. That refurbishment included, most notably (and pointedly) switching out the Trepak, a dance associated with Russia, for the Hopak, a dance associated with Ukraine.
But lest you think the evening will be all dour reflection, rest assured that what you’ll see will be the same muscular spectacle that has garnered the company national attention throughout the decades—including pyrotechnics, fiber-optic technology that illuminates moving props and phosphorescent paint that accentuates scenic backdrops.
There’ll even be a Sugarplum Boutique set up in the lobby where you can buy your own nutcrackers and other trinkets for loved ones on your holiday giving list. The Orlando Sentinel praised A Christmas Nutcracker Tale as “a whiz-bang affair” with costumes and stagecraft “that enlivens the traditional tale.”
Another returning favorite will be Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker (Saturday, November 22, 7 p.m., Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center), a lively multicultural take on the dance presented by Orlando Community Arts.
The production, which has been staged by the nonprofit since 2012, will feature Xavier Logan—a Juilliard-trained member of the Ailey II dance troupe—as the Chocolate Nutcracker Prince, alongside a trio of local high-school seniors dancing the other lead roles: Clare (Sairi Witherspoon), the Snow Queen (Sa’Naa Brahimi) and the Sugarplum Fairy (Charisma Tran).
The story—written by producer Beverly Page and based upon the 19th-century novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by Prussian writer E.T.A. Hoffmann—is set in Harlem. There, following her family’s holiday party, Clare returns to the parlor embracing an inanimate Chocolate Nutcracker that she has been given by her Aunt Pearl.
She falls asleep, and her dreams take her and the Chocolate Nutcracker (who has been transformed into a handsome Chocolate Nutcracker Prince) on a trip around the world. Together with the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker Prince visit Africa, Haiti, Puerto Rico, India and many other lands while en route to the Kingdom of Toys.
Music for this bold, beautiful (and increasingly sophisticated) production will be provided by the Jones High School Alumni & Community Band. New this year will be updated choreography for some of the locales and use of background animation.
Central Florida Ballet’s The Christmas Nutcracker Tale is always a lavish production, while Flamenco del Sol’s Cascanueces draws upon flamenco and folk schools of Spanish dance.
Next will be the third year for the “new” version of Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker (December 5 to 24, multiple times and performances, Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center), which turned heads—and wowed audiences—when it premiered in 2023 after a reimagining by Artistic Director Jorden Morris that cost $3.6 million.
The effort proved to be worth every penny. This year, Morris has tweaked the choreography in places, aiming for greater synergy between cavorting mice, flowers and folk dancers. Remaining in place will be the ornate sets, colorful costumes and other visual accouterments that have made this blockbuster a latter-day staple of the local cultural calendar.
In what has also become an annual tradition, there will be two family-friendly, sensory-friendly performances (consecutive Saturdays, December 13 and 20, 2 p.m.) that will offer a welcoming and flexible experience for youngsters—including muted lighting and sound as well as a relaxed re-entry policy while the abbreviated performances are underway.
Arrive early to enjoy festive pre-show crafts and activities (including crown decorating and snowflake making), story times, interactive dance classes, whimsical face painting and themed photo opportunities meant to create magical memories for children.
Finally, Flamenco del Sol is not only expanding the Spanish-themed interpretation of The Nutcracker that it premiered last year, but also giving it a new name: Cascanueces (Saturday, November 29, 8 p.m., and Sunday, November 30, 4 p.m., Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater at Dr. Phillips Center), which means “nutcracker” in Spanish.
As before, the story takes young Clarita on a fanciful tour of iconic locations in Spain, as depicted by a company of 30 dancers under the choreography of co-directors Tammy Weber de Millar and Gabriel Garcia. New this time are some additional segments that alternately draw upon the Tchaikovsky source material and the flamenco and folk schools of Spanish dance.
In the downtime between shows, look for dancers from Flamenco del Sol outside on the Seneff Arts Plaza, the grassy area that fronts Dr. Phillips Center, where they’ll be performing a mashup of Nutcracker routines and Spanish steps as part of this year’s FusionFest on the weekend of Thanksgiving (see page 19).
Dr. Phillips Center is located at 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.
