Cleveland Ballet: The Nutcracker

Cleveland Ballet: The Nutcracker at Connor Palace Theatre

Some traditions feel routine. This one still feels like a gift. Connor Palace Theatre hosts Cleveland Ballet's The Nutcracker on Sunday, December 13, with Tchaikovsky's score driving the evening.

Tchaikovsky's score unlocks memory fast, and the story of Clara, the Mouse King and the Land of Sweets gives you a familiar arc with room for real theater magic. This is a live ballet where music, movement and design work together. You can feel the room hold its breath at the quiet moments and burst into applause at the big ones. Ballet rewards first-timers as much as longtime fans. The story is clear, the music is recognizable and the dancers carry the emotion with every leap and turn. In a theater, the detail lands differently: the sweep of the music, the precision of the dancing and the familiar story unfolding with real performers in front of you.

When the Sugar Plum Fairy arrives, or when the battle scene snaps into motion, the impact is bigger seen live than skimmed past in a holiday playlist. Playhouse Square's Connor Palace Theatre gives the evening a grand downtown Cleveland setting. A Sunday date makes it a relaxed way to end the weekend. It sits in the middle of the run. Make it a family tradition, or start one this year. Get The Nutcracker tickets for Sunday, December 13.