7 ways to watch The Nutcracker from the safety of your living room

(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

published 5 December 2020

'Tis the season to watch The Nutcracker, but with major theaters around the country closed this year due to the pandemic, it's going to be more difficult than usual to pay a visit to Clara, Fritz, Drosselmeyer, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Not to worry, though — from previously-recorded productions of Tchaikovsky's ballet to dance documentaries that pull back the curtain on the production to even a feminist burlesque rendition, there are plenty of ways to keep up the annual tradition of watching The Nutcracker (or to start one) from the safety of your living room. Here are 7 of the best ways to watch The Nutcracker this December.

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If you're looking for a traditional version of The Nutcracker, you really can't go wrong with the 1986 recording of the Pacific Northwest Ballet's performance. The real attraction here, though, are the whimsical sets and costumes by Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak, who collaborated with choreographer Kent Stowell to bring E.T.A. Hoffmann's original 1816 story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, to life. The performance also uses Tchaikovsky's classic score, which Sendak once described as "rare and genuine and does justice to the private world of children."

Traditionally this time of year would see the Moscow Ballet touring the United States to put on its productions of The Nutcracker, as it has done every year since 1993. Since that's certainly out of the question in 2020, the ballet will come to your house instead. Nearly every major city in the country has a theater selling tickets to digitally stream the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker this season, with the show kicking off at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 19 (if you miss the date, the ballet will remain available to watch through January). Expect the usual favorites of the Nutcracker Suite (although be warned, instead of visiting the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and her Prince go to the "Land of Peace and Harmony" in Act II).

Every year, Fame actress Debbie Allen and her team at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles prepare a group of young dancers to perform the Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, an untraditional and modernized version of the classic that incorporates elements of hip-hop, modern dance, and ballet. This Shondaland-produced documentary follows Allen during the frantic weeks between auditioning her students and putting on the show — but despite it being structured with a reality-TV-like countdown toward the premiere date, the film is far more about the selfless work Allen does, and the influence she has on the lives of her students, many of whom attend the academy on scholarships. A terrific addition to Netflix's Christmas slate, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker is an inspiring reminder of the life-changing power of the arts.

You're going to want to save this one for after the kids go to bed. Now in its 13th season, The Slutcracker is an adults-only, burlesque version of Tchaikovsky's ballet, complete with drag queens, belly dancers, and a queer-feminist sexual empowerment storyline (director John Waters is a fan). The show has been a massive success since it opened in 2008, repeatedly selling out the 900-seat Somerville Theatre in Massachusetts. Because "the prospect of missing this heartwarming and silly sexiness, especially now, seems terrible" — to quote producer John Wenworth — The Slutcracker will be released this year in the pandemic-safe format of a film compiled from archival footage from the 2019 performance, Deadline reports.

Disney's "gritty reboot" of The Nutcracker in 2018 raised important questions like "is there going to be a Nutcracker cinematic universe" and "I have seen The Nutcracker five times and don't remember four realms" (Polygon patiently answered them). But while the movie got mixed reviews — specifically, RogerEbert.com deemed it "as convoluted as its confusing title would suggest" — the sets and costumes are undeniably magnificent. Against all odds, The Nutcracker ballet has never quite managed to be adapted into a successful big-budget blockbuster, Four Realms included, but this is still your closest option if you want something more cinematic than theatrical. And if you're looking for a smörgåsbord for the eyes this season, it'll be your best bet.

On Pointe has been on the Disney+ slate since before the streaming service launched last year, and the six-part docuseries about the School of American Ballet's preparations for the annual performances of The Nutcracker at last arrives this holiday season. According to Disney, the series offers "unprecedented access to the famous ballet institution," and follows as "older students from all over the country rigorously train for professional careers" and "younger students from New York City are put through their paces as they rehearse and perform in New York City Ballet's holiday classic George Balanchine's The Nutcracker onstage at Lincoln Center."

"With its festive, recognizable Tchaikovsky music, nostalgic vision of family togetherness at Christmas, and broad appeal to all ages, The Nutcracker is generally the only ballet that makes money for a company," The Washington Post reports — which is why it's hard to understate exactly how devastating this winter season threatens to be for dance companies around the nation. The New York City Ballet, for example, projects a $14.5 million loss from not being able to put on The Nutcracker.

But while many theaters have canceled their annual performances of The Nutcracker, others have pivoted to live streams and recordings to help keep the tradition afloat. The San Francisco Ballet will offer an "interactive" virtual Nutcracker experience, which includes watching the company's performance as well as supplementary activities, like learning steps from the choreography; the Milwaukee Ballet is making a "short and sweet" abbreviated version available on demand; the Atlanta Ballet is putting on a "drive-in" viewing event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in addition to offering an on-demand, previously-recorded version of the production; and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center is putting on a Hip Hop Nutcracker "virtual event."

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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