Stoneham Theatre's The Nutcracker Opens Today

Stoneham Theatre presents The Nutcracker, written by The House Theatre of Chicago; directed by Caitlin Lowans and choreographed by Ceit Zweil; with book by Phillip Klapperich and Jake Minton; music by Kevin O'Donnell; lyrics by Jake Minton; based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffman. Performances run November 25-December 22, *show times vary. Tickets: $44-$48 regular admission; senior discounts apply; all student tickets $20. Student/senior discount matinees available. [Special pay-what-you-can Friday performance: November 25 at 7 pm.] Stoneham Theatre, 395 Main Street, Stoneham. Wheelchair accessible. For advance tickets and information, visit or call the Box Office at 781-279-2200 (hours Tues.-Sat., 1-6pm) or log onto www.stonehamtheatre.org.

12 year old Clara triumphs over the Rat King. The victorious ending of a well known tale that is in essence whimsically wrenching and wholeheartedly heartfelt. When stripped away of all its usual 1950-ish Tchaikovsky tinsel, The Nutcracker, as imagined by The House Theatre of Chicago and adhering closely to E.T.A Hoffman's dark original, is a riveting tale of a family in shock, with parents immobilized by the grief of losing their soldier son Fritz. A year ago, that unexpected knock on the door during a Christmas Eve party changed everything. And a year later, there are no plans for special Sugar Plum cookies, just the usual pizza bagels.

But daughter Clara is on a quest to take back the light of Christmas, with the much needed boost from her Great Uncle Erich Drosselmeyer who has fashioned for her a Nutcracker doll with an uncanny resemblance to her brother Fritz. In fact, it is Fritz, whose spirit embodies the doll and is determined to help empower Clara and her legion of toys to rid her home of the rat demons who have haunted the place for a year. For Clara, enough is enough with all this doom and gloom.

Under the direction of Stoneham Theatre's Artistic Associate and Director of Education Caitlin Lowans, The Nutcracker is imbued with lots of spectacle, plenty of movement and music -- and tons of fun. But it also brings into focus what happens to children when parents clam up and can't express emotions that are essential to vocalize. Children are kept at bay and in the dark. But kids are smarter than that, they are very much aware of being shut out. Clara is indeed one of those kids and she's not going to take it any more. First on the agenda, time to make Sugar Plum cookies. Ah, but not so fast, says a Rat! And with that, The Nutcracker games begin.