The Nutcracker (1993)

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her ... See full summary »

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer:

Susan Cooper (narration)

Stars:

Darci Kistler, Damian Woetzel, Bart Robinson Cook

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Darci Kistler	...	The Sugarplum Fairy
Damian Woetzel	...	The Sugarplum Fairy's Cavalier
Bart Robinson Cook	...	Drosselmeier
Kyra Nichols	...	Dewdrop
Jessica Lynn Cohen	...	Marie Stahlbaum
Macaulay Culkin	...	The Nutcracker / The Prince / Drosselmeier's Nephew
Wendy Whelan	...	Coffee (in "Arabian Dance")
Margaret Tracey	...	Marzipan (in "Dance of the Reed Flutes")
Gen Horiuchi	...	Tea (in "Chinese Dance")
Tom Gold	...	Candy Cane - in 'Trepak'
Lourdes López	...	Hot Chocolate (in "Spanish Dance")
Nilas Martins	...	Hot Chocolate (in "Spanish Dance")
William Otto	...	Mother Ginger (in "Dance of the Clowns")
Peter Reznick	...	Fritz
Karin von Aroldingen	...	Grandparent

Storyline

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her beloved Nutcracker (Culkin) comes to life and defends her from the Mouse King, then is turned into a Prince after Marie saves his life.

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Plot Keywords:

little girl | christmas | fairy | lifting female in air | child heroine | 

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Taglines:

The joy of the New York City Ballet in an exciting family holiday motion picture.

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy | Music

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,119,994 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Krasnow Productions, Arnon Milchan Productions, Elektra Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This version of the ballet, an adaptation of the famous George Balanchine staging presented annually in New York City, is the only well-known American production of "The Nutcracker" to use children in the roles of Marie (known as Clara in most versions) and the Nutcracker/Prince, so the roles are not choreographed to be as technically demanding as in other productions of the ballet. The original 1892 Russian production also used children. Several other productions, including the recent Helgi Tomasson one for the San Francisco Ballet, have taken their cue from Balanchine and cast a little girl in the role of Clara, but in the Tomasson version, Clara is magically transformed into an adult in Act II so that she can dance the pas de deux with the Prince (danced in the Tomasson production by an adult). Many other productions (especially Russian ones) now cast adults as the Nutcracker/Prince and the girl, usually known as Clara rather than Marie, so that there is an adult love interest between the couple.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, Macaulay Culkin is listed as playing Drosselmayer's nephew, but he is not listed as playing either The Nutcracker or The Prince.

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Connections

Version of The Nutcracker (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Entr'acte"
from "The Sleeping Beauty"
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The New York City Ballet Orchestra conducted by David Zinman

User Reviews

Enchanting production!

Both visually and musically stunning. A treat for both the eye and the ear. The quintessential Victorian element of the opening sequences were completely enchanting, helping to create a Christmas scene of which Dickens himself would have been justifiably proud. Technically the production is visually stimulating and the special effects are both imaginatively devised and creatively achieved in a traditional stage setting. The dancing of many of the lead artistes is breathtakingly good. The photography and lighting are first class and the sound recording admirably matches the overall high level of technical skills employed. A great film for all the family at Christmas time and a most delightful discovery which will withstand multiple viewing.