Can you smell it in the air? Temperatures are dropping, seasons are changing, and we are rushing headlong into the busy holiday season. Christmas is just a couple of months away! That means holiday music will soon begin to play, stores will be decked out in visions of yuletide greetings, and theater performances depicting the magic of the season will be right around the corner.
The Nutcracker is one such ballet performance that we have always been fond of here at Backdrops by Charles H. Stewart. In fact, we love the Nutcracker ballet so much we have over 130 Nutcracker backdrops to set the scene for your next performance of this famous theatrical event.
The Story of the Nutcracker
The Nutcracker ballet is based on the story, “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. While the ballet is slightly different from the original storyline, the basic plot remains the same.
The story opens on Christmas Eve in the late nineteenth century at the Von Stahlbaum home where Clara and her brother Fritz are excitedly preparing for the next day with family, friends, and guests. As last minute preparations are made for Christmas day the brother and sister join Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s mysterious godfather for games and stories.
Drosselmeyer keeps the children and guests entertained with magic tricks and mechanical dolls. While Clara would love to have one of these dolls to keep for herself, she is instead presented with a wooden nutcracker soldier.
Clara is devastated when a struggle causes the nutcracker doll to fall and break. Her godfather mends the pieces and sends his goddaughter off to bed where her dream then becomes what we know as the Nutcracker Suite!
Nutcracker Backdrops for Every Scene
Each scene of the Nutcracker ballet takes us through the imagery that Clara creates as she dreams about the Nutcracker soldiers and Mouse King coming to life in her Victorian era home.
Scene I – The Party Scene
It is this Act , known as the “Party Scene” and eventual “Battle Scene” where Clara and her family gather for the holiday that can be beautifully set by some of our “Palace” backdrop options. The elegant staircase and stately columns set the stage for a grand room that is in the final stages of preparation for Christmas celebrations.
More of our Victorian home backdrops include: The Drawing Room #1910, Victorian Interior #1943, Victorian Interior #2251, Victorian Interior (with center fireplace) #2264, Christmas Interior #2460, Palace Interior with French doors #2538, Blue Drapery Interior Victorian #2541, and Christmas Interior with cozy fireplace #3148.
Scene II – The Snow Forest
In addition to the beautifully adorned palace in this act, Clara also travels through an enchanted snow forest where the Snow King and Queen, as well as Snow Maidens dance for Clara. Some of our backdrops are perfect to set the stage such as the Winter Wonderland shown below or: the Snow Forest #2474, Snow Landscape #2240, and Snow Forest Backdrop #1863.
Scene III – The Sweets
During this act, Clara celebrates the defeat of the Mouse King with the Sugar Plum Fairy as highlighted by many noteworthy dances such as Waltz of the Flowers, Dance of the Dew Drop Fairy and, of course, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
We have several backdrops for rent that would make the perfect setting for this “Palace of Sweets” portion of the ballet.
Here are links to several others that would be appropriate for Act II of the Nutcracker: Palace of Sweets #2274, Land of Sweets #1853, and Palace of Sweets (with rotunda) #1946,
No matter what version of the Nutcracker your organization is performing, we can help you find the perfect backdrop to set the stage for your holiday performance.