The Nutcracker

Pjotr I. Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker – premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg – is celebrated in the Semperoper at Christmas like the Dresden Stollen or the famous Striezelmarkt. Aaron S. Watkin and Jason Beechey draw on the story of E. T. A. Hoffmann and create a fairy tale in the style of classical ballet set against a Dresden Christmas: On Christmas Eve, Marie receives a Nutcracker as a gift, which she immediately falls in love with. But soon danger threatens from a warlike mouse army. Then it seems as if the Nutcracker comes to life: He stands against the enemy forces. With her new companion, the girl embarks on a journey through a land of sweet dreams – and into adulthood.