It’s Christmas Eve 1882 in Georgetown. Clara and her family prepare for a holiday celebration. As the guests arrive, Clara’s mysterious godfather, Mr. Drosselmeyer, enters with her brother, Fritz. Drosselmeyer entertains the guests with a puppet show and dancing dolls and presents Clara with a special gift—a nutcracker. Jealous of his sister’s present, Fritz seizes the nutcracker and breaks it. As the party ends, Clara sadly places the nutcracker under the Christmas tree. 

Later that night, after everyone has gone to bed, Clara tiptoes downstairs to retrieve her nutcracker. Suddenly, the room fills with scurrying mice. Eventually, Clara falls asleep and begins to dream. When the clock strikes midnight, Drosselmeyer’s magic begins. The Christmas tree grows, and a battle ensues between a brigade of toy soldiers, led by a life-sized nutcracker, against the Rat King and his menacing rats. As the Rat King nears victory, Clara distracts him. Suddenly, the nutcracker is turned into a prince, who leads Clara through the enchanted winter to a glorious springtime.