About the Play:

The Nutcracker is a full-length comedy adapted for the stage by June Walker Rogers, from the classic story on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The famous ballet has been adapted into a stage play, in which Clara's Godfather gives her a toy soldier nutcracker at a Christmas Eve party. The nutcracker comes to life, reveals he's a prince trapped in a spell by the evil Mouse King and takes Clara on a journey from her family party to the Land of the Sweets. The Nutcracker will appeal to audiences of all ages!

The Nutcracker is a captivating stage adaptation of the legend of a young girl and her magical toy, the wonderful Nutcracker. True to the classic tale, young Clara excitedly waits for her Godfather Dross at a gala Christmas Eve party and this year he brings her a Nutcracker in the form of a wooden toy soldier. Too excited to sleep, she suddenly finds the Nutcracker brought to life – as are candy canes, coffee and tea canisters, mice and snowflakes. The Nutcracker tells her he is a prince under the wicked enchantment of the conniving Mouse King, and she joins him in a series of adventures in strange lands as he seeks to regain his throne. When she wakes, she finds the Nutcracker gone. Was it a dream or not? Then her Godfather returns with his nephew – who just happens to look exactly like the prince! Full of fantasy characters that dance their way into your heart, this non-ballet version of The Nutcracker is a charming play that may be enhanced with dances to the beloved music of Tchaikovsky.

The play is based on Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffman's classic book The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written in 1816. The story was selected by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to become the ballet The Nutcracker, which premiered in 1892 at the historic Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, performed by the Moscow Ballet Company. This stage adaptation by June W. Rogers has gained widespread acceptance among leading regional theatres, and has become a popular choice for school and community theatre productions.

Cast: 12 female, 10 male, plus extras

What people say:

"This show broke records for us. It ran before winter break, and we sold out every performance well in advance. Families were thrilled to see this comprehensible, audience-friendly version of the classic ballet." — Karin Richey, Palo Alto Children's Theatre

"This was a great rendition of the classic piece. Our audiences thoroughly enjoyed it. Perfect for younger audiences." — Richard Klassen, Candlewick Productions, La Riviere, Manitoba

"This is a good play for a beginning high school drama class. It is fun and has plenty of opportunity for kids to work on basics." — Joe Mishler, Holly High School

"Fantastic show! Easy costuming and set concepts, story is exciting for casts to perform and memorable for audiences to watch." — AJ Prawitz, St. James High School

About the Playwright:

June Walker Rogers (1927-2024) was an American actress, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, and playwright. She was a professional actress at the age of seven, and went on to success as a dancer, singer and comedienne on television and Broadway. Her wealth of theatrical experience is evident in her plays for they're especially easy to stage, often hilariously funny, and always theatrically effective.