Photos: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Reveals Costume Designs for New THE NUTCRACKER

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has revealed the first costume designs for its all-new production of The Nutcracker, set to premiere in December 2027. Check out the images below.

Conceived by PBT Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney and Trey McIntyre, with choreography by McIntyre, the new production will succeed Terrence S. Orr's staging of the holiday classic, which concludes its 24-year run in December 2026.

Costume and scenic elements for the new production are being designed by Susan Roemer, founder of S-Curve Apparel & Design and a former professional dancer. Roemer's designs draw inspiration from the production's 1906 and 1956 Pittsburgh settings and incorporate vivid colors, textures and period details.

The production will feature more than 74 different original character costumes, with 192 costumes appearing onstage during each performance and more than 150 hats, headpieces and accessories.

“I am delighted to share Susan's beautiful and creative costume sketches for our all-new production of The Nutcracker,” McKinney said. “Each design brings personality and story to each character and adds to the magic of our exciting new version of The Nutcracker.”

Among the newly revealed designs are costumes for Marie, the Nutcracker, Uncle Drosselmeyer and the Rat King, as well as the Snow King and Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker Prince and Dew Drop Fairy. Designs have also been created for characters appearing in the Waltz of the Flowers and the production's Act II divertissements.

The new Nutcracker will retain Tchaikovsky's score and the central characters and story of the ballet while introducing new characters and Pittsburgh-inspired elements. It will also incorporate a selection of music from the original 1892 production that PBT says has never previously been performed in Pittsburgh.

Set initially in 1906 Pittsburgh, the production follows Marie after she receives a Nutcracker doll from her Uncle Drosselmeyer at her family's holiday party. When rats and mice kidnap the Nutcracker, Marie leads the Toy Soldiers on a rescue mission and helps defeat the Rat King of Burrowland before traveling with the Nutcracker Prince and Drosselmeyer through the Land of Snow to the Cloud Kingdom.

Act II will draw particularly heavily on Pittsburgh's history and culture. The Cloud Kingdom and its divertissements will incorporate inspirations ranging from the city's baseball history and museums to its food culture, arboretums and distinctive bridges.

The production will also restore traditional Nutcracker characters not included in PBT's current staging, including the Dew Drop Fairy and Mother Ginger. Familiar sequences including the Waltz of the Snowflakes, Waltz of the Flowers and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy will remain.

Roemer has designed and constructed costumes for companies including San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Austin, BalletX and Miami City Ballet. She received a 2017 Isadora Duncan Award for Visual Design for Amy Seiwert's Wandering.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's new production of The Nutcracker will premiere in December 2027.

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