"The Nutcracker"

There are plenty of “Nutcrackers” each season, but this one’s the big’un. At Ballet Arizona, artistic director Ib Andersen has given the Tchaikovsky classic a production high on spectacle, with 260 costumes, 25 backdrops, 200 pounds of falling “snow” and 100,000 Swarovski crystals to make the blizzard really sparkle. There is also, of course, some beautiful dancing, but this fantasy about a little girl’s adventures in a land where toys come to life is more about delighting the eyes of children than… Show more tickling the fancies of balletomanes. Shows 7:30 p.m. Friday Dec. 7, 14 and 21; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Dec. 8, 15 and 22; and 1 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 9, 16 and 23. Additional shows at 2 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20; and 2 p.m. Friday Dec. 21 and Monday, Dec. 24. Call for discounts for seniors and students.

Show less