The House Theatre of Chicago is bringing the holiday cheer with its eighth annual engagement of the all-original, ballet-free The Nutcracker playing at The Chopin Theatre’s upstairs stage now through Dec. 30.
The show is fast-paced, beautifully choreographed, family-friendly, and moving for even those of us that might be on the Grinch’s side from time to time. This fantastical expansion of the holiday classic that “simultaneously evokes smiles, tears, mirth and cringes“ (PerformInk, 2016) centers on young Clara’s journey to save Christmas in the face of grief. With the help of a magical nutcracker, the brave girl risks the darkness, fights the Rat King, and saves her family.
The run time for The Nutcracker is approximately 2 hours, including one 15 minute intermission. Tickets may be purchased by calling 773.769.3832 or by visiting www.thehousetheatre.com.
The production premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007 under the Visiting Company Initiative and has enjoyed highly acclaimed new productions at The House since 2010, as well as simultaneous productions in Chicago and Miami in 2012. In 2016, The House revamped the show during a workshop at the Chicago Performance Lab. Repeat fans of the show have enjoyed new musical additions and new audience members continued to delight in the production’s creativity and heart.
