THE NUTCRACKER

Adventure into the dreamlike world of Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium! Hailed as “equal parts smart and magical” (Milwaukee Magazine), this fantastical production invites you to let your imagination run free for the holidays.
As one of Milwaukee’s favorite holiday traditions, The Nutcracker guarantees an enchanting evening of festive fun for all ages. Nearly 200 dancers, including students of Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy, and live music by Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra will illuminate the incredible artistic talent found right here in our city.
Subscription Renewals are now open for current subscribers! New subscriptions will go on sale this spring, and single tickets will be available mid-July.
Show Dates & Tickets
This production will be performed at Marcus Performing Arts Center. Recommended for ages 4+.
Questions or need help? Contact the Box Office at 414.902.2103 between 10AM-6PM.
Saturday, December 6, 2025 - 7:30pm
Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 1:00pm
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 6:00 pm - SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE
Friday, December 12, 2025 - 7:30pm
Saturday, December 13, 2025 - 2:00pm
Saturday, December 13, 2025 - 7:30pm
Sunday, December 14, 2025 - 1:00pm
Friday, December 19, 2025 - 7:30pm
Saturday, December 20, 2025 - 2:00pm
Saturday, December 20, 2025 - 7:30pm
Sunday, December 21, 2025 - 1:00pm
Sunday, December 21, 2025 - 6:30pm
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 7:30pm
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 7:30pm
Wednesday, December 24, 2025 - 1:00pm
Friday, December 26. 2025 - 2:00 PM
Friday, December 26, 2025 - 7:30 PM
Student Matinees
Milwaukee Ballet is proud to offer three discounted student matinee performances for The Nutcracker in the 2025/26 Season.
This opportunity is exclusively for public, private, and home-schooled student groups.
Sensory-Friendly Performance
The 2025/26 Season will mark the 10th annual presentation of The Nutcracker Sensory-Friendly performance. This adapted performance is made for children, families, and individuals with autism or other sensory processing needs. A special meet-and-greet with characters before the performance is always a highlight!
Production Team
Michael Pink
Michael Pink
Conception & Choreography
Michael Pink is the longest serving artistic director in Milwaukee Ballet history. Since joining the Company in December of 2002, he has established himself as a prominent member of the Milwaukee arts community, demonstrating his commitment to the future of dance through new work, education and collaboration.
Pink is known internationally for his theatrical productions including Dracula, Esmeralda, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet, La Bohème, Don Quixote, Mirror Mirror, Dorian Gray, and Beauty and the Beast, which have been hailed as “Classical Ballet for the 21st Century.” His production of Peter Pan signified a major landmark in the Company’s history and was broadcast nationally by PBS in 2014.
Pink trained as a classical dancer at The Royal Ballet School and danced with English National Ballet. He was the founding director of Ballet Central in London and the associate artistic director of Northern Ballet in England.
Todd Edward Ivins
Todd Edward Ivins
Set Design
Todd Edward Ivins designs scenery, costumes, and projections spanning works of dance, opera, plays, musicals, stand-up comedy, corporate events, and newsrooms. He is elated to return to Milwaukee Ballet, having previously designed scenery for Beauty & the Beast and scenery and costumes for both Dorian Gray and Mirror Mirror. He has also worked with Michael Pink on many musicals and A Christmas Carol at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Also at the Rep, Ivins has designed 14 shows, including Othello, Cabaret (scenery and costumes), West Side Story, Dreamgirls, The Color Purple, Ragtime, A Christmas Carol, Junk, Next to Normal, Of Mice and Men, and Assassins (scenery). Career highlights include The Illusionists Turn of the Century on Broadway, Circus 1903, and one of the first regional productions of Les Misérables. He sends love to his muses: his daughter, Agatha, and wife, Abigail Trueblood. Learn more about Ivins’ shows at www.ivinsart.com and Instagram: @ivinsart
David Grill
David Grill
Lighting Design
David Grill is a Drama Desk Nominee, fourteen-time Emmy® Award Nominee, and five-time Primetime Emmy® Award winner. He has also won a 2015 and 2016 Telly Award for his Lighting. His Broadway musical and dance credits include Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, The American Dance Machine, and works for Milwaukee Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Met, Houston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Cincinnati Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and numerous choreographers. Grill is also responsible for lighting The Drew Barrymore Show and New York Philharmonic, providing Lighting Direction for the National Memorial Day and A Capitol Fourth concerts on PBS, and lighting over 17 Super Bowl Halftime Shows. He has been featured in numerous publications and is an Associate Professor and Co-Chair of the Design / Technology Program at Purchase College, State University of New York.
Gregory A. Poplyk
Gregory A. Poplyk
Costume Design
Gregory A. Poplyk is an Emmy® nominated costume designer whose work has been seen in New York both on and off Broadway and for the New York City Ballet, as well as on television as part of HBO’s The Gilded Age and TNT’s The Alienist. Regionally, he has designed for theatres such as the Paper Mill Playhouse, The 5th Avenue Theatre in Washington, Goodspeed Musicals, Theatre Under The Stars in Texas, and the Ordway in Minneapolis. Among his favorite projects he lists Ringling Brother’s, Barnum and Bailey Circus, The Big Apple Circus and Disney on Ice’s production of Frozen. Internationally, his work has been seen in England, Hungary, and South Korea. He is a member of the TDF Costume Collection Advisory Committee, which presents the TDF Irene Sharaff Awards recognizing outstanding contributions in the field of costume design. His work can be seen at www.gregpoplykdesign.com.
Audience Guide
Get to know the synopsis, characters, history, and fun facts of The Nutcracker before seeing it onstage this winter.