The Chicago Tribune called A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas a "Top 10 Holiday Show Pick!" It was commissioned by Chicago's Emerald City Theatre, and first produced in Chicago in 2005, then again in 2007 and 2009. It has also been produced in Orlando and Las Vegas. In 2009, Ralph's World was joined by hundreds of dancers and the actors from that year's production to appear in Chicago's Magnificent Mile parade, performing a version of the song Welcome To Christmas Wood on live TV as part of the nationally televised coverage of the parade.
Covert and Mills' version of the classic ETA Hoffman story turns it on its head, making the Nutcracker a girl, and pairing her with Fritz Stahlbaum instead of his sister Clara. Fritz, who is obsessed with the video game Mousehunter 5000, scores an all-time record on the game, and inadvertently frees the evil Mouse King, who sets off on his quest to destroy Christmas once and for all. Fritz and the Nutcracker set off to find him and stop him.
The play script has been published by Samuel French, and is available for productions. In addition, in 2009 Chronicle Books published a picture book version of the show, which also includes a CD with recordings of six songs from the musical.
Covert and Mills' version of the classic ETA Hoffman story turns it on its head, making the Nutcracker a girl, and pairing her with Fritz Stahlbaum instead of his sister Clara. Fritz, who is obsessed with the video game Mousehunter 5000, scores an all-time record on the game, and inadvertently frees the evil Mouse King, who sets off on his quest to destroy Christmas once and for all. Fritz and the Nutcracker set off to find him and stop him.
The play script has been published by Samuel French, and is available for productions. In addition, in 2009 Chronicle Books published a picture book version of the show, which also includes a CD with recordings of six songs from the musical.
