<P>A story in philly.com about Pennsylvania Ballet, one of a few companies allowed to perform Balanchine's Nutcracker:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>Ballet's 'Nutcracker' holds suite memories</B><P>by Tom Di Nardo, Philadelphia Daily News<P>The Pennsylvania Ballet's "Nutcracker" has become one of the essential ingredients of the holiday season, a cash cow for the company and an annual must for audiences, for many their first exposure to ballet.<P>In its 32nd season of "Nutcracker" performances, the Ballet will again perform George Balanchine's classic 1954 version, licensed to only a few companies, to more than 50,000 delighted patrons. This 1892 ballet of a young girl's Christmas dream, about the Nutcracker Prince battling the Mouse King and her adventures in the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy, warms even the hardest heart. The only mystery about its success is why Tchaikovsky thought so little of the glorious music, some of the most beloved ever composed.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><B><A HREF="http://dailynews.philly.com/content/daily_news/2000/12/15/features/FNUT15.htm" TARGET=_blank>More</A></B><P>

Another view of the Nutcracker in general and the Pennsylvania Ballet in particular from the Philadelphia Inquirier:<P><A HREF="http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2000/12/19/magazine/NUT19.htm" TARGET=_blank>Is This Holiday Dream Fading?</A><P>