What is your really special holiday tradition? You know, the one you get all dressed up for. If you said Christmas dinner, I feel you on that. That definitely used to be my one and only “fancy” Christmas celebration until I was 7, when the movie The Nutcracker Prince came out. To this day, it’s probably my favorite version of The Nutcracker I watch at home but more importantly, it was my introduction to The Nutcracker. That was followed by that 1993 version with Macaulay Culkin, when I saw it in a theater type setting (at home) for the first time. I realized then The Nutcracker would be a must for me and my future family every year during Christmas time. I’ve stuck to that, then the Charlotte Ballet went and made it extra special a few years ago when they started Night at the Nutcracker.
What is Night at the Nutcracker?
Night at the Nutcracker is a one night only event put on by the Charlotte Ballet where they transform the Belk Theater into The Land of the Sweets for a night of food, activities, and a complete performance of The Nutcracker. The performers make an appearance and engage with guests prior to performance and just make it extra special for the kids and adults. It’s not just for fun and games, the monies from the event benefit scholarship opportunities to aspiring Charlotte dancers.
How was it?
It was amazing. Normally, we grab dinner prior to seeing The Nutcracker, so in this case, it was really exciting to feel like we were apart of The Nutcracker and actually in that world. The performers gliding around and interacting with everyone really reinforced that feeling. Being in The Land of the Sweets, you couldn’t help but partake … luckily, there were some non-sweet options as well a few libations for those of age.
The kids had a really great time. I wish I’d captured the bracelets and pictures they made in photographic form. We actually ended up wearing our bracelets until they fell apart, which for me was about a month later. I just liked walking around with a little reminder of the night after Christmas had gone and we’d entered into a new year to await the next one.
Is The Nutcracker a tradition for you? Who has seen the Macauley Culkin movie version because very few people seem to remember it? If you’re in Charlotte, have you gone to Night at the Nutcracker? Please, let me know in the comments and, while you’re here, check out yesterday’s Blogmas post. As always, thank you for reading!
