The Nutcracker

Written by	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Date	1891
Source	ballet, Op. 71

Here Comes Christmas! pageant of The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet by Tchaikovsky, known for its association with Christmas and an animated interpretation in Disney's Fantasia.

The ballet is the basis for the 2022 HBO Max special The Nutcracker: Starring Elmo & Tango. New songs appear in the special set to Tchaikovsky's themes and scores.

Recordings

• Big Bird hosts an adaptation of the ballet for the book-and-audio set Big Bird Presents the Nutcracker.

• Elmo and the Orchestra features "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" from The Nutcracker.

References

• The radio show Nice Music of the Air heard in Episode 0385 of Sesame Street advertises itself as having the nicest, sweetest music this side of the Land of Sugar Plum Fairies.

• Suzanne Farrell dances to music from The Nutcracker in a Sesame Street insert which first appeared in Episode 1418.

• The Nutcracker features as a Sesame Street Pageant in the 1989 coloring book Here Comes Christmas!, with Ernie as the Mouse King, Betty Lou as Clara, and Bert as the Nutcracker.

• Oscar the Grouch and Grundgetta perform a ballet number in the 1993 Sesame Street Live show When I Grow Up, dancing to a tune from "The Nutcracker."

• Pastiches of the Nutcracker music play to end scenes 1 and 4 in Sesame Street Episode 3320.

• A hip-hop song in Elmo's Christmas Countdown uses themes from the ballet featuring Elmo as the Nutcracker. Jamie Foxx plays an action figure of himself with Tiffany Curl in the role of Clara. The credits list "Nutcracker Medley" with credit to Jamie Foxx.

• Zoe dances to music from the ballet in Episode 3916 of Sesame Street.

• Zoe draws a picture of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker on a card for Abby Cadabby in the 2009 book Love, Elmo.

• In the Abby's Flying Fairy School episode “Sugar Plum Fairy Day,” Mrs. Sparklenose poofs up a pair of “Sugar Plum Fairy Dance Shoes” for Gonnigan to wear at the dance recital to help him dance. She even mentions that the shoes were created by the Sugar Plum Fairy herself.

• A fake cover of Variety seen in The Muppets features an article about a "Nutcracker Scandal" by Andrew Logchin, which reports on child labor law violations for allowing a 14-year-old ballerina named Miss Lily Lewis to perform as a starring member.

• Saoirse Ronan and The Mutations do the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy in Muppets Most Wanted.

• Zoe and Prairie danced to "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" in the 2016 Parque Plaza Sésamo stage show "Concierto Rock".

• The 2019 Universal Studios Singapore stage show The Great Christmas Invention includes a Nutcracker number (consisting of "March of the Toy Soldiers", "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy", and "Waltz of the Flowers") performed by Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Abby Cadabby.

• Fozzie does a ballet act to the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy in the last episode of the 2018 Muppet Babies series, "The Muppet Babies Show".

• Zoe is seen performing a recital of the ballet in the 2021 Sesame Street book Joy to the World.

Connections

• Jim Belushi voiced Reginald the Mouse King in The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Cam Clarke voiced the Prince, Asparagus, and a mouse sergeant in The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Michael Coleman played Drosselmeier in The Nutcracker (TV, 1985)
• Misty Copeland played the ballerina princess in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• Tim Curry voiced the Mouse King in Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
• Eugenio Derbez played Hawthorne in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• Phyllis Diller voiced the Mouse Queen in The Nutcracker Prince (1990) and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Gustavo Dudamel played a conductor in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• Peter Elliott played Gielgud in The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)
• Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops arranged The Nutcracker Suite (1956 record)
• Morgan Freeman played Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• Verner Gresty was creature effects supervisor and played a father in The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)
• Kevin Kline played the narrator in the 1993 film version
• Nathan Lane played Uncle Albert in The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)
• Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop performed Lamb Chop's Nutcracker Suite (1993 CD)
• Lourdes López has appeared in multiple productions, including the 1993 film version
• Kermit Love designed many puppets for the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker
• Cheech Marin voiced Mac in The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Sindy McKay wrote additional dialogue for The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Helen Mirren played Mother Ginger in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• Rudolf Nureyev played Drosselmeyer and the Prince in the 1968 TV version
• Peter O'Toole voiced Pantaloon in The Nutcracker Prince (1990)
• Maurice Sendak was production and costume designer and co-conceived the 1986 film version
• Péter Takátsy played a proud rat soldier in The Nutcracker in 3D (2010)
• Leif Tilden was a motion capture performer for The Nuttiest Nutcracker (1999)
• Jack Whitehall played Harlequin in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
• John Williams and the Boston Pops arranged The Nutcracker Suite (1984 album, with Peter and the Wolf)
• Terry Wogan narrated the 1984 album with Peter and the Wolf