Houston Ballet celebrates the 26th anniversary of Ben Stevenson's production of The Nutcracker, seen by more than one million people since its premiere 26 years ago.

The beloved ballet tells the story of a little girl named Clara who is given a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve. She encounters the frightful King Rat before embarking on a wondrous journey through the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. Young and old alike will experience the many special effects, including the Christmas tree that grows to 40 feet, 200 pounds of snow falling during the snow scene and the firing of cannon on stage.