Salt Creek Ballet to perform ‘The Nutcracker’ at College of DuPage theatre

Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” under the direction of artistic directors Erica De La O and Kristopher Wojtera, returns to the McAninch Arts Center with performances at 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 and Sunday, Dec 15.

New Philharmonic, under the baton of music director/conductor Kirk Muspratt, will perform Tchaikovsky’s score live for the rare opportunity to see “The Nutcracker” danced to live orchestral music, according to a news release.

Based on the classic story by Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffman, Salt Creek Ballet’s magical production of “The Nutcracker” has been a holiday tradition for almost four decades. The story is of a young girl named Clara, who is gifted a toy nutcracker that comes to life and wages battle against the evil Mouse King. This fantastical Christmas Eve culminates in a journey to a wondrous world filled with sugar plum fairies and dancing snowflakes. Audiences will be dazzled by a Christmas tree that grows nearly 60 feet tall, a Mouse King with a 10-foot tail, a Mother Ginger with a skirt spanning 8 feet wide and the cast of more than 80 dancers.

The McAninch Arts Center is located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of the College of DuPage. Tickets are limited. Cost is $46 for adults and $36 for children.

Audience members arriving to their performance early can make their experience extra special by visiting with Santa, who will be in the lobby one hour before each performance and snapping selfies with the MAC’s majestic Christmas tree.

For tickets or more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC box office at 630-942-4000. The MAC box office is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and two hours before a performance.