The Joffrey Ballet has revealed the creative team for its revamped production of The Nutcracker, and it's a roster assembled from major Broadway talents.
The new production, conceived and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon (An American in Paris), will be reset against the backdrop of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, with the new narrative crafted by children's author Brian Selznick, a Caldecott Medal honoree for his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret (the basis of the Martin Scorsese film Hugo).
Designing the sets and costumes will be Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter, The Addams Family), with puppet designs by the acclaimed Basil Twist. Five-time Tony winner Natasha Katz is the lighting designer, with projections by Benjamin Pearcy (Hedwig and the Angry Inch). Wheeldon's Nutcracker will run December 10–30 at the Auditorium Theatre; tickets are on sale now.