I was given tickets to this ballet, of which I am extremely grateful for.

When The Nutcracker ballet began, just the music filled my heart with gladness.  What a great way to forget the stress of getting everything done before Christmas by seeing this perennial favorite.

The Nutcracker at the State Theatre was performed by the American Repertory Ballet in conjunction with the Princeton Ballet School.  There was an excellent live orchestra that performed Tchaikovsky’s beautiful classic score, as well as a cast of 100 magnificent performers.

This particular version was geared to to a younger audience, with lots of children performing in the ballet.  I was so excited to have the opportunity to bring my child to this amazing production, I glanced over at him and he was…sleeping.  Okay so perhaps a four-year-old boy who has been up since before 6:30 was not the most representative of a typical child.

During intermission, I had the opportunity to talk to many children, some as young as three-and-a-half whose parents assured me their children were awake and enjoying the ballet!

The scenery was very cleverly done and the costumes elegant and colorful.

After intermission, Tyler once again joined the captive audience.  I had read him the story of the Nutcracker before-hand so he knew what was going on.  He even noticed that Clara and her Nutcracker prince were sitting on a cake (I had missed that!) and took an inventory of the candy count on the stage.  He did wind up enjoying the second act.

An important thing of note is that although this version is geared to children, any adult will enjoy this ballet without a child in tow.

The State Theatre still has performances scheduled tomorrow, Sunday, at 1:00 and at 4:30 and there are still tickets available.  It is a great way to slow down the craziness that Christmas can be and allow yourself and your children to enjoy this wonderful production.