The story behind the ‘Nutracker’ holiday tradition

The story behind the ‘Nutracker’ holiday tradition
The story behind the ‘Nutracker’ holiday tradition

The story behind the ‘Nutracker’ holiday tradition

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“The Nutcracker” is one of the most famous and most performed ballets in the world and it’s estimated that almost half the “Nutcracker” productions shown around the world each year occur in the United States. It was first performed in Moscow in 1892. So how did this Russian ballet actually make its way to the United States and become a holiday tradition here? It all started with three brothers from Utah. Chris Barton, the author of the picture book ‘The Nutcracker’ Comes to America, tells WBEZ producer Alexandra Salomon the story.