Ashtabula Arts Center News

It's a merry time on this cozy Christmas Eve at the home of the Stahlbaum family. Wreaths and mistletoe and pine garlands tied with fancy red ribbons decorate the house.

As snow falls gently outside the frosty paned windows, cookies, pies and sweet breads fill the air with the delicious sweet scents of sugary apples, pumpkin and cinnamon. Like children all around the world on this very special evening, Fritz’ and Clara’s heads are swimming with visions of sugarplums and Christmas surprises!

As guests arrive for the family's annual Christmas party, music plays, dancing begins and the children happily scurry around the tall tree sparkling with shiny glass balls and tinsel. Oh! It’s a Christmas Eve they’ll long remember! Before long, a knock is heard at the door. The fantastic Herr Drosselmeyer sweeps into the room, to the delight of all the children who know his pockets will be filled with magic!

Herr Drosselmeyer entertains the crowd with his tricks and tales and presents the children with treats and toys. To Clara he gives the most special gift of all--a charming Nutcracker doll. But as little boys sometimes do, Fritz becomes jealous and in a pouting tantrum, he breaks the doll and brings Clara to tears. Herr Drosselmeyer, however, is a magic man. With a wave of his magic handkerchief he fixes the broken toy and brings a smile back to little Clara's face. At the end of the evening, party guests bundle in wool coats and knit caps and make their way home through the chilly night air. With cakes and cookies packed away in the cupboard and nothing but bits of paper and holiday ribbon left strewn across the floor, the family snores softly in their beds.

All the family, that is, except Clara. Unable to stop thinking of her favorite new toy, the little girl slips quietly back to the living room where, with drooping eyelids, Clara lies down under the beautiful tree and clasps her Nutcracker doll tightly in her arms.

As the tall clock strikes midnight, Clara is startled awake and discovers that the family's beautiful tree is growing! And growing! And growing! The tree grows to a gigantic size! Up, up, up! And then, right before her eyes, the Nutcracker doll and Fritz's toy soldiers come to life and they begin to grow too! Out of nowhere, an army of furry, larger-than-life mice, led by an evil Mouse Queen, scurry into the room! In an effort to protect Clara, the Nutcracker and his soldiers engage the mice in a fierce battle! Swords clang and cannons fire! Kaboom!

Everything happens so quickly! Clara is afraid that the Nutcracker might be hurt! In a desperate attempt to save him from defeat, she reaches for the first thing she can find and throws her slipper at the evil Mouse Queen, giving the Nutcracker the chance to recover and defeat the evil rodent once and for all!But then, more magic happens! As the furry mice flee with their leader's lifeless body, Clara's Nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince! Taking her by the hand, he leads her to a beautiful sleigh and the two of them embark on a midnight journey beneath the starry, moonlit sky. Into the Enchanted Kingdom they go, where snowflakes come to life and dance in the gentle breezes of the Snowy Pine Forest. Their next stop is the Land of Sweets where candy striped flowers grow atop whipped cream mountains whiter than snow! Clara and her prince are greeted by the Sugarplum Fairy who rules over this magical land. As they tell their adventurous story, the Sugarplum Fairy is so impressed with their bravery and heroism that she throws a lavish festival in their honor.

Clara and the Prince are treated like royalty and showered with gifts of sweets. Delightful dances begin to the lively music of the Spanish fandango. Dancers move their bodies like rising steam to an Arabian song and Matroishkas dance to an invigorating Russian Trepak. When the amazing Mother Ginger whirls onto the floor, little bon bons dance out from beneath her skirt! These are the most beautiful dances Clara has ever seen. She and the Nutcracker Prince watch with amazement as a handsome Cavalier enters the scene and escorts the Sugarplum Fairy to the center of the room. There, the captivating pair dance the most beautiful dance of all.

And then, Clara's most perfect evening must come to an end...