Nutcracker and Mouse King
In E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fairy tale of the “Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, the chief justice Drosselmeier blurs the boundaries between dream and reality for his godchild Marie Stahlbaum on Christmas Eve: The cursed princess Pirlipat gets her beautiful face back with the help of the nut Krakatuk, but does not want to take her rescuer as agreed to her husband. The young man was transformed into a nutcracker during the rescue attempt. The transformation of the wooden doll back into its original form is tied to two conditions: The Mouse King must fall at the hands of the Nutcracker and a lady must grow fond of the Nutcracker despite his ugly appearance. With Marie’s help, the Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King. Since the girl is very fond of the wooden doll, the curse breaks. The Nutcracker is transformed back into a young man who confesses his love to Marie, who returns it fervently.
Ballett by Steffen Fuchs
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography: Steffen Fuchs
Stage and costumes: Heiko Mönnich
Cast: 16 + 5 children (7W, 6M)