A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer

A couple days before Tulsa Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” debuted to a full crowd inside Tulsa Performing Art Center’s Chapman Music Hall, cast and crew made final preparations in front of a nearly empty room of more than 2,500 red velvet seats. 

Tulsa Flyer had exclusive access to the Dec. 5 final dress rehearsal for the ballet’s signature holiday performance dating back to 1969. 

Tulsa Ballet debuted a new version in 2021 that continues today with moving scenery, projections, over 1,000 costumes and choreography by Val Caniparoli and Ma Cong. There’s also a segment featuring Tulsa’s iconic Golden Driller that became an instant hit. 

A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the company's final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.
A behind-the-scenes look at Tulsa Ballet's "The Nutcracker" during the final dress rehearsal Dec. 5, 2025, at Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The holiday ballet runs through Dec. 21.

After warming up on stage, dancers of various ages put on their costumes and got to work as the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra played iconic music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 

The cast and orchestra performed the classic story set in 19th-century Germany with ease. In the darkness of the theater, it was easy to forget there were only six people in the seats until the end of each scene, when there were a few people clapping instead of the thunderous roar of a capacity crowd that will fill the PAC through Dec. 21. 

Find tickets for matinee and evening performances here. 

News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Tim Landes is the food, arts and culture editor at the Tulsa Flyer. Prior to joining the inaugural editorial team at the Tulsa Flyer, Tim spent a decade managing media relations for Cherokee Nation businesses,...