The Nutcracker from Keith Michael at Brookfield Place

Keith Michael’s adaptation of Tchaikovsky's classic is highly polished, with an Art Nouveau–style twist. The New York Theatre Ballet's production is an hour in length—just the right amount of time for little ones to watch the polka dot–clad mice and sugary backdrops in wonder before they get too squirmy. And it's free, a part of Brookfield Place's extensive cultural offerings. Free. All ages.