We haven’t even reached the crisp days of fall in Chicago, but this year’s slate of holiday events is already beginning to take shape. Case in point: The experiential production juggernaut Lighthouse Immersive—which produced shows like “Immersive Van Gogh” and “Immersive Frida Kahlo”—just announced a Christmassy production will light up its Old Town events space this winter.
According to a news release, “The Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle” draws inspiration from the E.T.A Hoffman.’s eponymous 1816 fairytale that follows a young girl named Marie as she enters the fantastical world of her toy nutcracker on Christmas Eve, as well as the ensuing 1892 ballet set to music by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The 30-minute immersive adaptation, which premiered in Toronto last year, pairs footage of professional ballet dancers alongside animated characters across more than 500,000 cubic feet of projections, guiding the viewers through an abbreviated version of the iconic tale. Tchaikovsky’s famous score, including numbers like “The March of the Toys” and “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” provides a soundtrack.
Ready to get in the Christmas spirit? “The Immersive Nutcracker, A Winter Miracle” premieres in Chicago on November 19 at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago in Old Town (108 W Germania Pl). Tickets for the production, which start at $30, go on sale August 26—though we won’t blame you if you’d prefer to get through Halloween in Chicago before mustering excitement for the holidays. Take a look at production stills from the show below.
