Colorful spins: Nut cho ordinary take on the classical holiday tradition, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is a fantastic visual extravaganza that uses puppetry from around the globe, including Russia, the Czech Republic, and South America. Dubbed the Gift of Christmas tour, the show uses over 200 costumes, and Wes Anderson’s concept designer Carl Sprague is the talent behind its hand-painted sets. The story is told through masterful choreography and 36 award-winning Russian dancers, as dazzlingly ornate characters, including the Dove of Peace, firebird, peacock, unicorn, elephant, bull, and bear puppets, move to Tchaikovsky’s score.
