SUZY STUMP: TACOMA CITY BALLET GOES BIG >>>

A brooding, mysterious godfather, a broken-jawed wooden soldier that comes to life and a murderous Mouse King all converge once again to remind us The Nutcracker story may be the most hair-raising Christmas favorite for the whole family the world has ever known. Tacoma City Ballet stages Tchaikovsky's ballet the next two weekends, with the Northwest Sinfonietta scoring it and featuring the original Marius Petipa choreography.

I’m not sure what exact shape TCB's show will take â€" plot and costume details differ from production to production â€" but whether the Mouse King has seven heads (like the beast of Revelation), three heads (like Cerberus, dog-guardian of Hades) or only one (like a normal mouse king), this dark-edged dream promises to leave kids and sensitive adults as speechless as the bounding, pirouetting athletes on the huge Pantages stage.

[Pantages Theater, Saturday, Dec. 12 1 and 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 13 1 p.m., same times next Saturday and Sunday, $28-$60, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]