Nutcracker Fun Facts!!

• In some productions, “Clara” is the name of the lead character and not “Marie.” However, in the original story, “Marie” is the name of the girl and “Clara” is the name of her doll.
• Rehearsals for our production of The Nutcracker begin in early September.
• This year’s production includes over 110 cast members and over 200 costumes.
• Approximately thirty people work backstage to assist with music, lights, costume changes, and sets.
• Marie has three dreams. The first dream begins when the jack-in-the-box awakens her. The second dream begins when the first group of mice enters until the end of the battle scene. The last one is when she gets back on the bed and goes back to sleep before waking up before the prince.
• The Mouse King has 7 heads. There is one large one with six additional heads protruding from it.
• In order for Marie’s bed to move, someone gets underneath to steer it. Usually it’s our Artistic Director!
• Mother Ginger’s dress is in two pieces, the upper bodice that actually fits the Mother Ginger character and the skirt. The skirt fits over an oblong stage set made of wood that sits on top of the actual moving part which someone steers from underneath.
• It takes about 10 hours to steam the wrinkles from Mother Ginger’s skirt.
• The Sugar Plum Fairy’s costume has 32 pieces of beaded candy decorating the tutu.
• The week of The Nutcracker, our dancers collectively go through about 2 pounds of bobby pins (hair pins).
• In 2009, students from 24 Mississippi municipalities attended the school performances of Ballet Mississippi’s The Nutcracker.
• Thalia Mara Hall, the auditorium where The Nutcracker is performed, is named for Ballet Mississippi’s first director, Thalia Mara. Later, she brought the International Ballet Competition to Jackson, which still occurs every four years. Jackson Auditorium became Thalia Mara Hall to honor her contribution
  to Jackson’s cultural life.
• Peter Illyitch Tschaikovsky is the composer who wrote the music for the ballet. The Nutcracker was first performed n Russia in 1892, and was considered a failure. Tschaikovsky died less than one year later; therefore, he never knew what a huge success and popular holiday tradition the ballet later became.
• This year is Ballet Mississippi’s 30th anniversary of performing The Nutcracker.