Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production is larger than life in many ways. Here a handful of fun facts to help answer this question.

PNB’s Nutcracker debuted on December 13, 1983 at the Seattle Center Opera House (now McCaw Hall); over 1.5 million people have seen PNB’s Nutcracker.

Nutcracker has 187 roles, which are danced in rotation by multiple casts comprised of more than 220 Pacific Northwest Ballet School students, including over 30 professional division students, and 45 Company dancers.

Each season, nearly 300 hours are spent rehearsing children and Company members to perfect the choreography for the performances.

180 costumes, comprised of approximately 700 different pieces, are used in the production.

About 500 pairs of pointe shoes are worn out during a Nutcracker season.

The Mouse King is actually a 27 foot tall puppet with 17 different moving parts.

The majestic Christmas Tree was constructed by Boeing engineers in a Boeing flight hangar and is made of materials used in airplane construction. The tree weighs 950 pounds and grows from 14 to 28 feet in height during the Fight Scene.

Over 115 props are used and approximately 500 light bulbs are lit for every performance of Nutcracker.

Featured Photo: Choreographer Kent Stowell addresses the cast of Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling.