George Balanchine's The nutcracker
(DVD) 

Based on the story by E. T. A. Hoffmann.

Originally produced as an American motion picture in 1993.

Double-sided disc includes widescreen feature presentation (Side A) and screen feature presentation (Side B).

Special features: Text features: Cast and crew; A history of the story; The dream team; Choreographing the camera; Special effects; Recommendations; Theatrical trailer (

Production design and scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian ; music performed by New York City Ballet Orchestra ; conducted by David Zinman ; editor, Girish Bhargava ; director of photography, Ralf Bode ; costumes, Karinska.

New York City Ballet; Darci Kistler (the Sugarplum Fairy), Damian Woetzel (Cavalier), Kyra Nichols (Dewdrop), Bart Robinson Cook (Drosselmeier), Heather Watts (Frau Stahlbaum), Robert LaFosse (Dr. Stahlbaum), Jessica Lynn Cohen (Marie), Macaulay Culkin (Drosselmeier's nephew/the Nutcracker), Wendy Whelan (Coffee), Margaret Tracey (Marzipan), Gen Horiuchi (Tea), Tom Gold (Candy Cane), Lourdes Lopez and Nilas Martins (Hot Chocolate), William Otto (Mother Ginger), Peter Reznick (Fritz), Edward Bigelow and Karin von Aroldingen (Grandparents); narrated by Kevin Kline.

Despite its elegant gorgeous stage set, and costumes of awesome beauty and richness of detail, some of the fairy-tale magic of "George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker' " has been lost in its translation from a staged ballet into a film. However, the dancing is breathtaking, the narration keeps the story moving, and it is as well acted as it is danced. This is a full corps de ballet version, sumptuous with classic ballet sequences in their full glory. The story is simple: Herr Drosselmeier presents Marie with the Nutcracker, who battles and defeats the Mouse King, and as the Nutcracker Prince he escorts Marie to the land of the Sugarplum Fairy. With its parents, guests, and children sharing a 19th-century Christmas Eve of games and folk dances, the film has all the right storybook inflections.

MPAA Rating: G.

DVD; region 1; Dolby digital stereo, Dolby digital mono.; standard presentation formatted to fit standard televisions, and widescreen presentation preserving the aspect ratio of its original theatrical exhibition; enhanced for 16x9 televisions.

In English, dubbed French or Spanish with optional subtitles in English, French, or Spanish; closed-captioned in English.