The Nutcracker presented by The House Theatre of Chicago at Chopin Theatre

Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...The House Theatre's gorgeous, arresting annual holiday show bears only a faint resemblance to Tchaikovsky's ballet. Instead of bratty kids and sugarplum fairies, Jake Minton and Phillip Klapperich's tightly spun book introduces a family wracked by tragic loss. But magic still abounds, and in quantities that will bring a tear to the eye of even the stingiest Grinch."

Windy City Times - Highly Recommended

"...Such weighty subtexts could easily eclipse the very goal they seek inspire, but Minton and Klapperich have had four years since their parable's premiere to fine-tune the balance between bittersweet life-lessons and gleefully juvenile exuberance. The brisk two-hour-with-intermission production currently playing at the Chopin features madcap chases, food-fights, found-object scrimmages, uptempo patter songs ( the lyrics of one composed of the recipe for sugar-plum cookies shared with audience members ), a terrifying five-headed puppet Rat King and-since it wouldn't be a House play without an unexpected shower of something-a ( fake ) snowfall for children and adults to play in before the crew sweeps it up. Doesn't that sound like a merrier time than baby fairies in pink satin tippy-toe shoes?"

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Recommended

"...THE NUTCRACKER is magical. It has gritty reality coupled with sugar-plum dreams.  It challenges us to find the light in dark times, especially at the holidays. If you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s time to start a new Christmas tradition."