Every November, people start lining up to obtain Nutcracker tickets, a popular holiday ballet enjoyed by audiences all over the world. Based on the book The Nutcracker and the King of Mice' by E.T.A. Hoffman, the Nutcracker was first performed at the Marinsky Theatre in Russia in 1892, where it continues to remain a popular and celebrated ballet tradition. The music for The Nutcracker was written by the famed Russian composer Tchaikovsky and first choreographed by Marius Petipa.http://www.nutcrackerballet.net/

Cities throughout the world offer performances of The Nutcracker every year, and tickets to these shows are often obtained months in advance. Some ballet companies are much more prestigious than others. This includes the San Francisco Ballet, which was the first U.S. ballet company to perform The Nutcracker, and The Moscow Ballet, which continues to produce a world renowned rendition, and takes The Nutcracker on tour each year. These tickets are popular with audiences all over. This year, the Moscow Ballet will be performing in numerous U.S. cities throughout November and December. If you are interested in obtaining tickets to one of these performances, or any other Nutcracker performance, this guide will provide you with information on how to buy Nutcracker tickets.

If you are planning to attend a performance of The Nutcracker this year, the sooner you obtain your tickets, the better chance you have of landing the tickets and seats you want. Because there are so many performances each year, you will likely be able to get last minute tickets to many of them. However, if you want to attend the more popular Nutcracker performances put on by The Moscow Ballet, The San Francisco Ballet or The New York City Ballet, you will want to start the ticketing process as soon as you can.

1. Check the internet for performances and dates and plan accordingly.
2. Research the actual performances, as you may be willing to drive to a neighboring city for a performance that is more critically acclaimed.
3. Look in local print publications, as you can often find information about upcoming performances, including preview shows that are offered at a discount. You may also be able to find additional savings on tickets in your local newspaper as well.

One of the most popular ways to obtain tickets is online. Many ticketing companies operate solely online, and offer tickets from the theatre, as well as people that have extra tickets they need to sell. This makes it possible to get great deals on tickets when you purchase online. However, some online tickets can be costly, depending on the performance. The later you wait, the more valuable the tickets may become, thus claiming a higher price. Online purchasing options include:

1. Ticket websites such as StubHub. These websites offer seats directly from the theatre box office, or from customers wanting to sell tickets they are not going to be using. Before purchasing from these sites, it is important to make sure the have secured websites. Most of them do, but some do not, so be absolutely certain before making a purchase, especially if they offer discount tickets.
2. Websites such as eBay and Craigslist. These sites are great if you want to deal with a person one on one, especially Craigslist. Often, people will sell promotional tickets that they did not have to pay for themselves, and you can broker a great deal fro them.
3. Box office. Most theaters will sell tickets for Nutcracker performances on their official website.

If you are leery of making online purchases, you are not alone. The two most traditional ways for purchasing tickets are still available, though not as popular. You can purchase tickets directly from the box office, or by telephone. These options will vary by theater, so you will want to check the official website of the theater or ballet company whose performance you will be attending.

Original music by Tchaikovsky

• First performed in Russia
• First U.S. performance was put on by the San Francisco Ballet