'The Hard Nut'
Dec. 12-21, Zellerbach Hall

BY NOW, hard-core Mark Morris fans have established his The Hard Nut as a must-see holiday tradition. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more cartoonish portrayal of family life than in Morris's slovenly, drunken, and horny first act. But despite such a raucous initial impression, Nut also makes the ordinary extraordinary: a bunch of hairy men as snowflakes, a dentist as a prince, and an overweight mother as the butterfly in the "Waltz of the Flowers." Yes, they're funny – but their humanity always shines through their antic leaps. What's more, the relationship between Drosselmeier and his nephew is about as sweet as you'll ever see. It's also worth noting that Morris worked directly from E.T.A. Hoffmann's original tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouseking, which is not nearly as saccharine as other productions of the popular story might lead you to believe. Morris also uses every single note of Tchaikovsky's brilliant score – and you'll hear it performed live. These days not too many Nutcrackers can boast that. Fri.-Sat. and Dec. 18, 8 p.m. (also Sat., 2 p.m.); Sun., 3 p.m., UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph, Berk. $32-$56. (510) 642-9988, www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. (Rita Felciano)