Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at Paramount Theatre Seattle

As previously mentioned, the ballet is set around a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, where the family and some friends have gathered, to decorate the tree. Children are given their Christmas presents, when suddenly, as the old grandfather clock strikes eight, a mysterious man enters the house. It is Clara's godfather, Drosselmeyer, who, not only is the local councilor, but also a known magician and a talented toy maker. He has brought the children gifts for Christmas. Four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of the small gathering. But then he suddenly has them put away, for safekeeping. Drosselmeyer then reveals that he has yet another gift for them, a little wooden carving of a man, but is actually a nutcracker.

Clara is immediately smitten with the little man, but it is accidentally broken by her younger brother, Fritz. Clara is heartbroken, and Drosselmeyer assures Cara that he can fix it. Close to midnight, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara creeps downstairs, wanting to check on her nutcracker. The clock strikes midnight, and suddenly the room is filled with mice. The Christmas tree is seen to grow, and the little nutcracker man is also growing to life-size. Clara soon finds herself in the middle of a fierce battle, between an army of gingerbread men and tin soldiers, fighting the mice, who are led by their Mouse king!

The mice begin to eat the gingerbread soldiers. The nutcracker appears to be the leader of the soldiers, but he is wounded. As the Mouse King advances on the wounded nutcracker, Clara distracts him by throwing her slipper at him. The nutcracker takes the opportunity and stabs the Mouse King. The mice, now afraid, retreat, and the nutcracker is magically changed into a handsome Prince!

The Prince leads Clara through the pine forest in the moonlight, and they travel to the beautiful Land of Sweets. Here, the Sugar Plum Fairy is looking after the kingdom for the Prince, until he returns. The Prince tells of Clara’s bravery and how she had helped save the battle against the Mouse King. A celebration is held in honor of the young heroine, and sweets from around the world are produced and join in the celebrations. The Sugar Plum Fairy, and her Cavalier Prince, perform a dance to conclude the evening. A final waltz is performed by all the sweets, after which the Sugar Plum Fairy leads young Clara and her Prince down from their throne, to a reindeer-drawn sleigh. The Prince bows to the fairy, and she kisses Clara goodbye, and soon the sleigh takes off as they wave goodbye to all the subjects who wave back.