New York City Ballet's Annual Season of George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER Returns to Lincoln Center

New York City Ballet will open its annual season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® on Friday, November 29 at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The 2019 season of the holiday classic, sponsored by The Travelers Companies, Inc., will include 47 performances through Sunday, January 5, 2020.

New York City Ballet's (NYCB) acclaimed production of Balanchine's masterpiece, which premiered on February 2, 1954, helped to establish The Nutcracker and its score as perennial favorites in the United States, evident by the now countless versions of the ballet performed all over the country. NYCB's beloved production has been performed in New York City every year since its premiere, and is seen by more than 100,000 people annually.

"New York City Ballet and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® are an essential part of the holiday season in New York and we are extraordinarily grateful for the generous continued sponsorship from The Travelers Companies, Inc. that helps to make this treasured holiday favorite possible," said Katherine Brown, NYCB's Executive Director.

"This marks our eighth year of supporting New York City Ballet's extraordinary production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. It is an iconic holiday tradition enjoyed by so many people of all ages each year, and we couldn't be more pleased to be a part of this special holiday event," said Lisa Caputo, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience at Travelers.

Set to Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky's glorious score, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® features choreography by Balanchine, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska, and lighting by Mark Stanley, after the original design by Ronald Bates. The production features the Company's entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, as well as more than 125 children, in two alternating casts, from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.

Highlights of this world-renowned holiday production include a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, an onstage snowstorm, and hundreds of elaborate costumes, including one for Mother Ginger that measures 9 feet wide and weighs 85 pounds. The production's grand finale involves one million watts of lighting, the most used in any New York City Ballet production.

Ticket prices start at $45, and New York City Ballet also offers a Sweet Seat VIP Package, which includes premium seating, a complimentary souvenir book, and for every two Sweet Seat tickets purchased, a coupon for one complimentary keepsake photo taken with a character from George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®.

Tickets are currently on sale online at nycballet.com, in person at the theater box office, and by phone at (212) 496-0600. The David H. Koch Theater is located on the Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.

Check out footage from The Nutcracker below!