`THE NUTCRACKER': TULSA BALLET THEATRE PRESENTS CHRISTMAS TRADITION

"The Nutcracker," an enchanting tale of a little girl and her Christmas Eve dream, will be performed at the Show Me Center Dec. 10.

The fairy-tale ballet will be performed by the Tulsa Ballet Theatre. It will mark the first time a ballet has been presented at the Show Me Center.

"We did this to provide a cultural and family event that has never been done in this area," said Christopher Washko, events coordinator at the Show Me Center.

"Immediate response to this idea has been very good," he said.

The ever-popular "Nutcracker" is the story of a girl who magically journeys into the world of the unknown during Christmas Eve. In her journey through the Forest of Christmas and the Kingdom of the Sweets, she encounters a host of characters representing a battle between good and evil.

Washko said children from the Southeast Missouri area will be performing in the ballet. Audition dates will be announced later by the Show Me Center.

The story of the Nutcracker is based on a tale by writer E.T.A. Hoffman. His original story, written in 1816, was entitled "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice."

In 1891, the director of the Imperial Theaters in St. Petersburg, Russia, commissioned Peter Tchaikovsky to write the music. It was first performed in 1892 at the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

The Tulsa Ballet Theatre production faithfully recreates the original production of "The Nutcracker."

The ballet is being presented through the Mid-America Arts Alliance program, a non-profit regional arts organization whose partners include the state arts agencies in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance are $20, $15 and $10. Tickets went on sale Wednesday at the Show Me Center and regular ticket outlets. Patron seats are available exclusively at the Show Me Center and includes a post-performance reception. For more information, contact the Show Me Center box office at 651-5000.