Atlanta Ballet provided these nutty numbers on its annual holiday spectacular. For a deeper look on how it all comes together, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
- Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker calls for 8 tons of scenery, lighting and props.
- Each performance uses 300,000 watts of electricity (more than enough to light a stadium).
- 20 pounds of “snow” fall at each performance.
- Costume preparation starts in August and takes more than 2,000 hours.
- Mother Matrushka’s costume weighs 75 pounds. The role is always done by a male dancer atop a 15-foot-high platform.
- The Christmas tree grows from 13 feet to 38 feet — as tall as a three-story building.
- A new backdrop for Marya’s trip to the Land of the Sweets was created in 2011 by Atlanta scenic artist Kat Conley. She hand-painted the scene, which took more than 120 hours.
