MAMT: The Nutcracker

МАМТ: Щелкунчик

The Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theatre presents "The Nutcracker" – a fresh take on the beloved tale. This beautiful and elegant contemporary interpretation breathes new life into the eternal story of the struggle between good and evil, of dreams and the faith in miracles.

Young Marie is a dreamer, lost in the pages of her books. With Christmas Eve upon her, a time ripe for fantasy, she is captivated by the mysterious and wonderfully handsome nephew of Herr Drosselmeyer. Weary from the evening's emotions and the whirl of the festive ball, the girl falls asleep and is swept away into the world of her literary dreams.

A giant book forms the centerpiece of the scenery – it is both the story's frame and a magical portal, allowing her to journey through different worlds with the turn of a page. It serves as a reminder that all of this might be a dream, a fantasy, and most certainly a fairy tale: beautiful, slightly ominous, and filled with trials, trepidation, and great hope.

The exquisite and immensely complex choreography by Yuri Posokhov intertwines with the plot and music like delicate vignettes. The characters find themselves suspended between the world of reality and the realm of fantasy, while the ballet itself stands at the crossroads of the 20th and 21st centuries. A production to be cherished by lovers of classical and neoclassical dance alike, and, of course, by everyone for whom the holiday season is unthinkable without the magic of "The Nutcracker."

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Actors

Please note that cast is subject to change

Marie

Anastasia Limenko

Nutcracker The Prince

Ivan Mikhalev

Drosselmeyer

Maksim Sevagin

The Mouse King

Maksim Gemri

Crew

Choreographer

Yurij Posokhov

Set designer

Polina Bakhtina

Costume designer

Sandra Woodall

Lighting designer

Narek Tumanyan

Musical director

Ivan Nikiforchin

Conductor

Arif Dadashev

Video designer

Sergey Rylko

Animation artists

Yulia Gilchenok, Igor Sokolovskiy

About

Yuri Posokhov presented his version of the legendary Nutcracker on the MAMT stage in 2022. The choreographer was looking for the key to solving the performance in Hoffmann's text, in the very spirit of Hoffmann's fairy tale. The scenography, created by production designer Polina Bakhtina, echoes the choreographer's idea and promises the viewer many unexpected visual solutions. The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is over 130 years old. The ballet was first shown in December 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Over the time that has passed since the premiere, The Nutcracker has become an indispensable attribute of the New Year along with the festive tree, tangerines and Olivier salad. Without it, a winter theatrical poster is simply unthinkable.

Special project

The Nutcracker Marathon

This year’s Nutcrackers include: a tender, youthful production by students of the Vaganova Academy; a watercolor, cozy staging from the Dresden Opera; a grand, Hoffmann‑esque somber Viennese Nutcracker choreographed by Nureyev; an elegant, classical performance from the stage of the Berlin State Opera starring Vladimir Malakhov and Nadia Saidakova; a fairytale production by Matthew Bourne, an elegant tribute to 1930s musicals and early Hollywood; and the most beloved, long‑awaited New Year’s ballet version – staged by Yuri Grigorovich at the Bolshoi Theatre, among others. →

Summary

Christmas Eve. The city is filled with anticipation for the holiday.

The home of Herr Stahlbaum is full of guests. Adults and children are having fun and dancing. Among the guests is Herr Drosselmeyer, a jack-of-all-trades and even, they say, a bit of a magician. He has come with his nephew.

The time for gifts arrives. As always, Drosselmeyer has prepared the most unusual surprises. Marie, the daughter of Herr Stahlbaum, receives a mechanical doll from him as a gift—a Nutcracker, who can crack nuts. The girl likes the strange toy, but the other children laugh at the Nutcracker.

Late evening. The guests return to their homes. Marie goes to sleep. Suddenly, enormous mice appear in the room, led by the terrifying Mouse King. They threaten the girl, but the Nutcracker and his toy army come to her defense. The Mouse King is defeated, and the mice flee in panic.

The Nutcracker turns into a handsome Prince and invites Marie to a magical land. A fairy-tale journey begins.

Morning comes. Marie wakes up, full of joyful anticipation. The magical dream opens the path to her future happiness.