The reimagined tale of Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon now features the World’s Columbian Exposition (aka World’s Fair) of 1893, a historic Chicago event, as the setting of the show. The World’s Fair was a cultural event and had a profound effect on Chicago’s self-image and the American industrial enthusiasm, and I love how it tied in perfectly with the variety of cultural dances that were already part of the traditional performance of The Nutcracker.
The show felt fresh and more amusing. I was charmed and found myself laughing out loud with the theatre audience at a lot of the parts. As a Chicagonista, one who loves everything about Chicago, the background frame of this show gave me so much pride. This is The Nutcracker show that all Chicagoans will enjoy seeing!
The Joffrey Ballet performs The Nutcracker Saturday, December 1 through Sunday, December 30.
Auditorium Theatre
Purchase tickets here.
