[photo credit: Sierra Madre Playhouse]
Created in 1969 by Los Angeles puppeteer Bob Baker, the production has been carefully preserved and refurbished into a dreamlike spectacle featuring large-scale marionettes and intricate sets. Originally staged with hand-and-rod puppets, the show has evolved into what LA Dance Chronicle calls “a congregation of imagination,” bringing Clara, the Nutcracker, the Rat King, the Sugar Plum Fairy and other beloved characters to life through strings and stagecraft.
“We are thrilled to welcome back ‘Bob Baker’s Nutcracker,'” said Matt Cook, Sierra Madre Playhouse artistic and executive director. Broadway World praised an earlier staging in “the cutely intimate Sierra Madre Playhouse, with its throwback red velvet seats and curtain,” calling it mid-20th-century theatrical artistry infused with “Christmas magic.”
The 50-show run continues through Jan. 4, 2026. Tickets cost $25.
Bob Baker’s Nutcracker will run on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. For more information, call (626) 355-4318 or visit https://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/event/nutcracker2025. Ticket prices: $25-$28.
