10 Fun Facts of Ballet Arizona’s “The Nutcracker”

Picture of Laura Cadieux, by Ron Brewer.

1) 50 Children perform in each performance.

2) The children audition for roles in the Nutcracker in September and begin rehearsing for the show one week later.

3) The sleigh is built on the base of a mobility scooter, with metal rails added to extend the front tires out. It also runs off of a mobility chair remote control, with someone laying down inside it to maneuver it on stage.

4) The Nutcracker is transferred to the theater in 5 tractor trailers and at least 2 trips in a 26’ foot box truck.

5) The Nutcracker loads into the theater over 3 days and takes approximately 75 hours of tech and rehearsal time before it is ready to be in front of an audience.

6) To land the Christmas Tree for the beginning of the show, it takes 4 men pulling on the rope to bring it all the way in because it is so heavy. The tree must be lightweight (or in stage terms “arbor heavy” with a counterweight fly rail) when it grows during the transformation.

7) When the Rat King costume is fully assembled it weighs approximately 80 pounds.

8) Small pieces of dryer sheets are placed in the snow bags, amongst the snow, to help it not form into snowballs when it drops.

Snow used in Ballet Arizona’s, “The Nutcracker”.

9) It takes 15 minutes to clean up the snow during intermission, with 4 shop vacs and 8 people sweeping.

10) The Company cast is different every show.