‘Nutcracker’ takes center stage with classic and jazz-style productions across the suburbs

Dance companies throughout the Chicago area are staging their versions of Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet. Here's where you can catch this holiday favorite:

Thursday, Dec. 4

“The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 4-14, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. The Schaumburg Dance Ensemble’s 30th production of the holiday classic featuring over 100 dancers. Tickets: $35-$53. prairiecenter.org.

Friday, Dec. 5

Barrington Dance Ensemble’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Barrington High School, 616 Main St., Barrington. Tickets start at $25. barringtondance.org.

“Nutcracker All Jazzed Up”: 7 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 5 and 12, and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 6 and 13, at the Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Road, Bartlett. Presented by the Bartlett Park District and Lisa’s School of Dance, the production includes local dancers performing to Tchaikovsky’s musical score reorchestrated into a modern, up-tempo, family-friendly experience. $11. bartlettparkdistrict.com.

Joffrey Ballet presents “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 5-26; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 6-27; 1 and 6 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 7-21; 7 p.m. Thursdays, Dec. 11 and 18; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17; with additional shows at 2 p.m. Fridays, Dec. 19 and 26; 2 and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23; 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tony Award-winning Christopher Wheeldon’s kaleidoscopic reimagining of “The Nutcracker” set amid the spectacle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Ticket prices vary by day and start at $60. joffrey.org.

Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd. Skokie. A full-length production performed by a professional company with guest soloists. Tickets start at $28. saltcreekballet.org/the-nutcracker.

Saturday, Dec. 6

“Duke It Out! Nutcracker”: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Nichols Concert Hall, Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. This one-hour Nutcracker performance pits the classical (Tchaikovsky) and jazz (Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn) versions of the holiday favorite. Curated by Dance Chicago, the program features members of Braeburn Brass and Music Institute of Chicago Ensemble-in-Residence, Quintet Attacca. $20. musicinst.org.

M3 Dance’s “The Nutcracker”: Noon and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and noon Sunday, Dec. 7, in the Hemmens Main Stage Theater, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. A fresh take on this classic tale featuring artists from well-known ballet and contemporary companies. Reserved seating. $32.50-$43. (847) 931-5900 or online at hemmens.org/tickets.

“Art Deco Nutcracker ”: 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Set in 1920s America, Alexei Kremnev’s The Art Deco Nutcracker features Tchaikovsky’s score in an exciting and fast-moving, but nevertheless, classic ballet. $22-$59. aacenterfordance.org.

Alma Dance Theater’s “The Nutcracker”: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1250 W. Wilson St., Batavia. Features international ballet stars and actors from around the world, Alma Dance School’s students, guest stars, and children from the school’s special needs program. $52-$61. bataviafineartscentre.org/events.

Friday, Dec. 12

Ballet Chicago’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Journey with young Marie as she travels from her home on Christmas Eve. She ventures to the Kingdom of Snow and the Land of the Sweets, featuring George Balanchine’s Sugar Plum Fairy Pas De Deux. Doors open 45 minutes before show. $30-$60. athenaeumcenter.org.

Judith Svalander Ballet School’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 12-21, at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock. $25-$51. woodstockoperahouse.com.

“Nutcracker” Performances: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12; 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12-14, in Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St., Chicago’s Hyde Park. Hyde Park School of Dance production. $8.10-$48.10. For tickets, see hydeparkdance.org.

Sunday, Dec. 14

“Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet”: 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont. Features an international cast that blends world-class ballet with puppets, lavish costumes and acrobatics. Tickets start at $47.75. rosemont.com/theatre.

Thursday, Dec. 18

“The Magic Of The Nutcracker” presented by Dancenter North: 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 18-19, at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. The 37th anniversary performance features over 100 performers, elaborate sets and Tchaikovsky’s score. $25.75. geneseetheatre.com.

Friday, Dec. 19

Engage Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker”: 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 (sensory-friendly) and noon and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21, at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. $20-$32. rauecenter.org.

Ballet Chicago’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20; and 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Drive, Chicago. The 5 p.m. Sunday performance is sensory-friendly. Ballet Chicago's production follows young Marie on her Christmas Eve journey to the shimmering Kingdom of Snow and the enchanting Land of Sweets, highlighted by George Balanchine’s iconic Sugar Plum Fairy Pas de Deux. $25.30-$94.30. harristheaterchicago.org.

Chicago Sinfonietta’s “Holidays of Hope”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville, and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St., Chicago’s Hyde Park. Conducted by Kedrick Armstrong, Chicago Sinfonietta performs Duke Ellington’s swinging take on “The Nutcracker,” transforming Tchaikovsky’s classic into a big-band celebration, along with a global program of festive music, from a Hanukkah symphony, a piece with Latin American flair, favorites like “Sleigh Ride and a sing-along. Before the concert, sip hot cocoa and craft a luminaria. $20-$70. chicagosinfonietta.org/holidays-of-hope.

Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, and 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20-21, in the Belushi Performance Hall, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. This full-scale production features live accompaniment from New Philharmonic, guest artists, and magical effects and scenery. $37-$47. saltcreekballet.org/the-nutcracker or atthemac.org.

Saturday, Dec. 20

Elise Flagg Academy of Dance’s “The Nutcracker”: 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, in the Elgin Community College Blizzard Theater, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. $47. eccartscenter.org.

Ruth Page Civic Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”: 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at the James Lumber Center, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake. Featuring a cast curated from local and international dance artists. $17.40-$35. jlcenter.clcillinois.edu.

Sunday, Dec. 21

Lakeview Orchestra Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker: 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at the at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Celebrate the magic of the season with the Lakeview Orchestra as they perform Tchaikovsky’s beloved “Nutcracker Suite.” From the sparkling “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” to the lively Russian Trepak, this timeless music will delight audiences of all ages. Doors open at 1 p.m. $17-$50. athenaeumcenter.org.

Monarch Dance’s “The Nutcracker City Lights”: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1250 W. Wilson St., Batavia. Aurora’s Monarch Academy of Dance’s holiday show in a high-energy, jazz-forward production of a beloved classic. $40-$61. bataviafineartscentre.org.