Photo by Charlie McCullers
Photo by Charlie McCullers

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.