I was at the 2025 opening night of Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
OMG, right
Christopher Wheeldon’s kaleidoscopic reimagining of The Nutcracker relocates the story to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The production shows off the iron-and-steam industrial charm of turn-of-the-century Chicago while blending Wheeldon’s contemporary choreographic vitality with the structure of classical ballet.
What struck me most was how cohesive the narrative felt. Like Ballet often struggles with storytelling (sleeping beauty, I’m talking about you). This Nutcracker version builds Clara’s dream into a gently unfolding vision of family, yearning, and possibility. The Joffrey dancers carried it with luminous technique and an unforced theatricality that made even the fantastical moments feel grounded.
Let along, the creative divertissements in the 2nd act. These sections are famously criticized for their outdated, often racialized caricatures. But here, because the entire act is reframed as World’s Fair exhibitions, the choreography becomes clever commentary and acknowledges the problematic history without replicating it.
A surprisingly delightful take on Chinese Tea
Mother Gigogne: they really went nuts…
The Sugar Plum Fairy as the Statue of Liberty (!)
We caught Wheeldon himself in the wing at the opening night!
A Closing Thought on the Music
I have to end with the music, because Tchaikovsky is the heartbeat of The Nutcracker. Lyric’s hall uses amplified sound to carry the orchestra from the pit—a practical solution, though not a perfect one. The mix sometimes dulled the nuances and softened the sparkle of the score.
But despite the (?) acoustics, the excellence of the Lyric Opera Orchestra was unmistakable. I’ve listened to The Nutcracker obsessively, and this performance still surprised me. They sound right. The musical director understands Nutcracker I think. The musicians gave the ballet a pulse that cut through everything.
So Tchaikovsky’s music rose up and claimed the night—as it always does.