E. T. A. Hoffmann’s short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” and the subsequent ballet by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographer Marius Petipa inspired this lavish and visually inventive fantasy. When young Clara (Mackenzie Foy) tries to locate the key that will unlock a gift from her late mother, she finds unexpected adventure in a series of magical worlds. With its imaginative costumes (Jenny Beavan) and production design (Guy Hendrix Dyas) and a lush James Newton Howard score (adapting Tchaikovsky themes), Nutcracker is an eye-popping feast for the senses.  

On the last Saturday of every month, the museum's Family Matinee is an accommodative screening where we offer open captioning, keep the theater dimly lit, and maintain a lower volume specifically for neurodivergent viewers.