Act I
Scene One At the Gate of Stahlbaum’s Home
It is early 19th century. In Nuremberg, Germany, Dr. Stahlbaum family is going to have a Christmas Party. Daughter Clara, Son Fritz and all the family members are welcoming guests at the gate.
Scene Two In the Sitting Room
Christmas Party begins. Clara’s godfather Drosselmeier brings with him a big music box. He takes out three toys from it, a lovely girl, a funny clown and strong Arabian to play for the kinds. At the end of the play, he takes out an unattractive nutcracker. Clara asks her godfather for the nutcracker as a present. Clara falls asleep with the nutcracker.
Scene Three In the Sitting Room
Clara wakes up with startle. She saw seven-headed Mouse King with a team of mice would rob her nutcracker. Suddenly, the nutcracker grows big and conducts the toys to fight against the mice. Clara falls in a dead faint. When she wakes up, the nutcracker liberates from the wizardry of the Mouse King and becomes a handsome prince. The Prince invites Clara to visit his Kingdom of Sweets. They take a journey on a wooden horse.
Scene Four Fairyland of Snow
The Prince and Clara pass by the Fairyland of Snow that is a white world. The Queen and King of Ice head their Fairies of Snow welcoming them in dancing. Clara gets a nice shawl from the Queen and King of Ice and they are on road again.
ACT II
Scene One Kingdom of Water
Spirits of Water are cheerful when they see Clara and the Prince on the boat. With a chilly wind, the rest undefeated mice attack again and they are defeated under the Prince’ s treasured sword.
Scene Two Kingdom of Sweets’ Capital
After they annihilating the mice, Clara and the Prince come to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the magnificent palaces are made of all kinds of desserts. Chocolate Fairy, Candy Fairy, Butter Fairy, etc. are welcoming them with elegant dances. Clara and the Prince are dancing a pas de deux of a marriage ceremony. Clara has fallen in a deep love with the Prince but also feels that the Prince will be away from her soon. With this uneasy feeling, Clara falls asleep quietly.
Scene Three At the Gate of Stahlbaum’ s Home
The Christmas Party is going to the end. Godfather puts a purely white shawl on Clara’s shoulder, then he rides a sleigh away. Clara is standing in the heavy snowy night with the nutcracker, remembering the beautiful time with the Prince. The Christmas night falls deeper and deeper.