The Nutcracker

Performance Details

When December 5–28, 2025
Choreography ©Christopher Wheeldon
Where Lyric Opera House
Music Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Run Time 2 hours

This holiday season, enter the spellbinding world where history and dreams intertwine. Join Marie and her Nutcracker prince on a fantastical adventure in Tony Award®-winning Christopher Wheeldon's kaleidoscopic reimagining of  The Nutcracker, set amidst the spectacle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.  

On a magical Christmas Eve, after awakening to an epic battle between Toy Soldiers and the Rat King, a flurry of snowflakes sweeps Marie away on a whirlwind journey to the dreamlike fairgrounds of the World's Columbian Exposition. Set to Tchaikovsky's classic score, experience sprawling attractions representing countries from around the globe: the dazzling Golden Statue, the mystique of an Arabian enchantress, vibrant Venetian masked dancers, Chinese dragons, and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.  

Behind the Curtain with Production Manager Shandee Vaughan

It is Christmas Eve in Chicago, 1892. Workers from around the world are constructing the World’s Columbian Exposition, which will open in five months. Workers from the fair and their families soon arrive at the shack with decorations, a small tree, and much food and drink. A wonderful Christmas party begins.

The mysterious Great Impresario, the man who has designed and created the World’s Fair, brings the magic of the season to life.

The Joffrey’s beloved version of The Nutcracker takes inspiration from Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, one of the city’s great historical attractions of the late 19th century.