‘The Nutcracker’: Ballet Tucson, TSO revive beloved holiday tradition

This year marks the fourth season of the partnership between the city’s only professional ballet company and its symphony orchestra, a collaboration Artistic Director Margaret Mullin describes as a tradition rooted in community and continuity.

“Our ‘Nutcracker’ is special to Tucson because it really is a community production,” Mullin said. “We hold open auditions and we find a spot for everyone. This year, we have a cast of over 90 kids from all over Southern Arizona. It’s something really meaningful.”

For Mullin, the tradition is also personal. She grew up performing in Ballet Tucson’s “Nutcracker,” taking on roles like a Little Mouse and an Angel that are now being filled by a new generation.

“One of my dearest friends started in our school when she was 4 years old,” Mullin said. “Thirty years later, her daughter is a Little Mouse and an Angel. We’re seeing multiple generations performing and attending. It’s something that feels truly Tucson.”

Beyond the community cast, the scale of the production also sets it apart. The show features massive, locally designed sets by Joseph McGrath, founder of The Rogue Theatre.

“Our sets are grand and very beautiful, and having them designed and built locally adds another Tucson touch,” Mullin said. “The Nutcracker is huge, we need a space like the Music Hall. Giant sets, big props, the symphony in the pit, it’s a full theatrical world.”

For the dancers, the presence of the live orchestra transforms the experience. Principal dancer Madeleine Kuebler, who performs the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, said dancing alongside the musicians elevates the choreography in ways no recording can.

“There’s nothing that compares to listening to the music coming up from the pit,” Kuebler said. “Seeing the conductor, hearing the musicians breathe with you, it feels like the wind beneath our wings. Every night is a little bit different because they’re performing too.”

Kuebler said the Sugar Plum role is one of the most challenging of her career, technically and artistically.

“It takes a lot of stamina,” she said. “You’re upholding this persona of perfection and ethereal regalness for 10 or 12 minutes straight. It’s a technical challenge, but also an artistic one. You have to stay focused the entire time.”

TSO President and CEO Paul Meecham says the partnership delivers something audiences can’t get from other productions.

“Most ‘Nutcrackers’ are done to recorded music, and while that’s still great, it is nothing compared to a live orchestra,” Meecham said. “It’s such a great score by Tchaikovsky, and when you’ve got a fully professional dance company performing with a fully professional orchestra, it brings the piece to life.”

Meecham said the collaborative model strengthens the city’s arts ecosystem as a whole.

“That combination of two of the community’s top arts organizations partnering is really special to Tucson,” he said. “These events couldn’t be done by one organization alone. Partnerships bring audiences from different parts of the community together.”

For many in the production, the goal remains simple: give Tucson families a moment of holiday magic.

“I hope the audience feels the Christmas spirit,” Kuebler said. “This ballet has always felt so festive to me. I hope people leave feeling lighter, happy, and fulfilled.”

“The Nutcracker” will be performed at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19; 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and Sunday, Dec. 21. Tickets start at $32.30 through ballettucson.org.