The Nutcracker
The Washington Ballet’s *The Nutcracker* returns to the Warner Theatre for a Washington, D.C.–specific holiday production set in 1882 Georgetown. In this 2026 staging, Christmas tradition meets the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebration: George Washington and King George III are reimagined through the heroic Nutcracker and the regal, caped Rat King. The production also features American symbols and characters including the Bald Eagle, Lady Liberty, John Paul Jones, and other figures from the country’s history.
The story follows Clara from a Christmas Eve party through a magical battle with the Rat King and an enchanted journey to Springtime. The production combines Tchaikovsky’s classic score with Septime Webre’s choreography and has been a Washington holiday tradition for more than six decades.
When: November 28–December 27, 2026.
Showtimes: November 28 at 7:00 PM; November 29 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM; December 1 at 7:00 PM; December 2 at 7:00 PM; December 3 at 7:00 PM; December 4 at 7:00 PM; December 5 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM; December 6 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM; December 9 at 7:00 PM; December 10 at 7:00 PM; December 11 at 7:00 PM; December 12 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM; December 13 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM; December 15 at 7:00 PM; December 16 at 7:00 PM; December 17 at 7:00 PM; December 18 at 7:00 PM; December 19 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM; December 20 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM; December 22 at 7:00 PM; December 23 at 6:00 PM; December 24 at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM; December 26 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM; and December 27 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Tickets: $41–$180. The page lists group-sale seats from $49 to $180 before discounts and says group tickets may be available for as little as $41 or $51, depending on the offer and performance. Regular ticket pricing tiers are not separately detailed.
Creative team: Septime Webre choreographs the production, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Run time: Approximately 2 hours.
Synopsis: On Christmas Eve in 1882, Clara and her family host a celebration at their Georgetown mansion. Clara’s mysterious godfather, Mr. Drosselmeyer, arrives with his young nephew, entertains the guests with puppets and dancing dolls, and gives Clara a special nutcracker. Clara’s jealous brother Fritz breaks the toy, and she later returns to it beneath the Christmas tree after the party ends.
When Clara falls asleep, the room transforms. The Christmas tree grows, mice swarm through the house, and a battle begins between toy soldiers led by a life-sized Nutcracker and the Rat King’s forces. Clara distracts the Rat King, allowing the Nutcracker to defeat him. The Nutcracker then becomes a handsome prince and leads Clara through an enchanted winter landscape into Springtime.
There, Clara and her prince meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, her Cavalier, and a host of fantastical attendants. The celebration includes Spanish and Chinese dances, a duet for an Anacostian brave and maiden, red cardinals performing with a Tom Cat, an American frontiersman and frontier girls, Mother Barnum and circus clowns, and the Waltz of the Cherry Blossoms led by the Dew Drop Fairy. The story concludes with the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier’s grand pas de deux before Clara awakens with her nutcracker.
Production history: The ballet originated with E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story *The Nutcracker and the Mouse*, later adapted by Alexander Dumas. Tchaikovsky was commissioned in 1891 to write the score for a new ballet, using a detailed scenario prepared by choreographer Marius Petipa. When Petipa became ill, his assistant Lev Ivanov completed the choreography. The ballet premiered at Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre on December 17, 1892, and reached England in 1934.
Washington Ballet history: The Washington Ballet first presented *The Nutcracker* in 1961. The production created by Washington Ballet and Washington School of Ballet founder Mary Day was initially staged at Constitution Hall and moved to the Warner Theatre in 1992. In 2004, the company premiered an all-American version created for Washington, D.C., by then-Artistic Director Septime Webre.
Group tickets: Groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts. Parties of 10–15 receive 10% off, parties of 15–20 receive 15% off, and groups of 20 or more receive 20% off. Group-ticket benefits include avoiding venue single-sale fees, free exchanges, and assistance from a group-sales representative. A 15% nonrefundable deposit is required to reserve group tickets, with final payment due two weeks before the performance; flexible payment plans may be arranged.
Group-sale terms: A minimum of 10 tickets is required. Orders of 15 or more tickets, or purchases covering multiple performances, must be collected at Will Call. Tickets may not be resold, and The Washington Ballet may review, cancel, or decline suspected resale orders.
Ages: No age restriction is specified on the page.
Accessibility: No accessibility information is specified on the page.
Venue: Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004.
Contact: 202-783-4000.