Act I
It is Christmas Eve, 1835, in a small town in Germany. Herr Drosselmeier is in his workshop putting the finishing touches on a Nutcracker doll. Outside, the chilly streets are alive with bustling townspeople. At the Silberhaus home, the family is preparing to host a holiday party for friends and relatives. As the parents decorate the Christmas tree, the Governess attends to the Silberhaus children, Clara and Fritz.
The Silberhauses welcome their guests and, with great flourish, light the beautifully decorated tree. As the festivities continue, Herr Silberhaus invites his guests to dance. Suddenly, a late arrival enters with a flourish, startling the assembled guests, especially the children. It is Clara's godfather, an old family friend affectionately known as Uncle Drosselmeier. He entertains the guests with his handiwork, mechanical dancing dolls, which delight and amuse all in attendance. Clara is especially fond of the Ballerina as she has great ambitions to be one herself some day.
Drosselmeier presents Clara with her own special gift, a unique Nutcracker handsomely dressed as a soldier. Fritz becomes extremely jealous of his sister, and plots with some of his friends to steal the doll. With great stealth, he sneaks up on Clara and attempts to snatch the Nutcracker. They battle for possession, but Fritz takes control and smashes the doll to the floor. Clara is devastated and Herr Silberhaus reprimands his son. Drosselmeier examines the damage to the Nutcracker, and after employing several magic gestures, returns the doll to Clara.
Herr Silberhaus suggests a dance and everyone joins in. As the hour grows late, the guests take their leave. The lights dim, and the Silberhauses retire for a long winter's night rest. As midnight approaches, Clara quietly tiptoes into the room in search of her beloved Nutcracker. Finding him safe and secure, Clara surrenders to sleep on the living room sofa.
No sooner do her eyes close than a mouse appears. At the same time, the old grandfather clock begins to strike the hour of twelve. Clara awakens at the sound and is startled to discover mice scampering around the room. She seeks protection on the sofa with her Nutcracker. Suddenly, Drosselmeier appears, calming Clara as the mice scatter. But there is more adventure in store. The walls of the house begin to change and the Christmas tree grows to enormous heights. And, adding to Clara's amazement, the Nutcracker grows as well.
The Mouse King appears and challenges the Nutcracker to a duel. Just as it seems the Mouse King is about to be victorious, Clara takes her shoe and casts it at his head. The Nutcracker takes advantage of the moment and slays the evil Mouse King. Drosselmeier reappears and performs one last magical act: he transforms the Nutcracker into a handsome Prince. The charming cavalier takes Clara through the Land of Snow on a fantastic journey to the Kingdom of Sweets.
ACT II
Drosselmeier's magic is still at work as Clara and the Prince find themselves in the Palace of Sweets, ruled by the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince reenacts his battle with the mice to show the Sugar Plum Fairy how Clara successfully fended off the Mouse King. A series of charming dances is performed to honor Clara's courage, culminating in a very special pas de deux performed by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her handsome Cavalier. As their dance ends, so does Clara's adventure. But her dreams continue.
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