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The Nutcracker at the Joffrey Ballet

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Fri, Dec 05 – Sun, Dec 28, 2025

20 North Upper Wacker Drive , Chicago, IL 60605

Experience magic this holiday season with two-time Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon's 'The Nutcracker'.

Experience magic this holiday season with two-time Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon's 'The Nutcracker'.

On a magical Christmas Eve, mere months before the opening of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the fair’s iconic Statue of the Republic, partake in a festive celebration with a surprise visit from the mysterious Great Impresario. That evening, after awakening to an epic battle between Toy Soldiers and The Rat King, Marie is swept away by a Nutcracker Prince on a whirlwind journey to the dreamlike fairgrounds of the World’s Columbian Exposition with sprawling attractions represented by countries from around the globe.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, The Nutcracker features a celebrated creative team, including two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, Tony Award®-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author Brian Selznick, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist, Tony Award®-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award®-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy.

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