The magic of it set the informal tone for the audience, who laughed in surprise. The iconic Boston bear was surreal and dreamlike. The next gift box contained a surprise for the on-stage children and audience themselves - a bottom-heavy teddy bear pranced across the stage. Nissinen’s choreography was elegant but stiff. The dancers came out of gift boxes and played their roles as dolls perfectly. The real fun came when soloist Lawrence Rines and second soloist Soo-bin Lee took the stage in the evening show as the Harlequin and Ballerina Dolls, respectively.

The Party Scene in Act I was playful - students of the Boston Ballet School frolicked on stage, and the children in the ballet opened Christmas gifts and played with toys. The holiday magic continued as the lights dimmed and the ballet began. The main roles were Clara, performed by soloist Chisako Oga, joined by principal dancers Paul Craig as Drosselmeier, Viktorina Kapitonova as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Paulo Arrais as the Nutcracker Prince. Back live this year, the dancers were all smiles as they acknowledged the orchestral pit, conducted by Mischa Santora. Traditionally an annual event, last year’s performances were streamed via various television stations. After last year’s virtual performances, the Boston Ballet returned to a packed Citizens Bank Opera House Friday for their opening night of “The Nutcracker.” COURTESY OF LIZA VOLL VIA BOSTON BALLET Mikko Nissinen’s “The Nutcracker” featuring Paulo Arrais, Tigran Mkrtchyan and Mia Steedle. The bustling front room quickly emptied as people took their seats for the 7:30 p.m. Many Boston Ballet attendees fit right in with the opera house’s aesthetic in their elegant evening wear. The opening night of artistic director Mikko Nissinen’s “The Nutcracker” was packed with audience members ready to begin the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving. The Citizens Bank Opera House was sparkling with Christmas-time magic Friday night, with tall Christmas trees, red walls and an intricately designed golden ceiling.

Boston opera house nutcracker