I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen The Nutcracker. Going to see the ballet is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Last year I got to take my niece , brother, and sister-in-law, and we had the most magical evening with Texas Ballet Theater at Bass Performance Hall. (If you’ve never been to Bass Hall, please, please visit if you’re ever in North Texas. It’s the most stunning building and it’s ruined me for all performance halls.) This year, thanks to Texas Ballet Theater, I was able to keep the tradition alive with a Virtual Nutcracker Night with my mom!

We got all dolled up as if we were seeing the show in Dallas, my mom with her chic gold top, sparkly necklace, and festive wrap and me with a *casual* red velvet gown and faux fur stole. Half the fun of going to see a show is getting dressed up and the attire made the evening so much more festive! We started the evening at a little bar I like to call The Rose Table. My friend Irene dropped off some Still ATX Bourbon for me to try earlier in the afternoon so I made a little cranberry julep!

I wanted to make a classic steakhouse dinner but I had a busy workday and didn’t have time to run to the store. I thawed skin-on chicken breasts and homemade pesto, roasted the chicken with potatoes and onions, and made my favorite stovetop spinach dish (which I’ve been making since college and somehow still have never posted on The Rose Table!) and we settled in to have dinner and a show!

Texas Ballet Theater is streaming a past, full-length performance of The Nutcracker now through December 26, 2020. Digital tickets are $30 and include access to a new, 30-minute version of The Nutty Nutcracker, Texas Ballet Theater’s popular annual spoof. You can get a streaming pass at www.texasballettheater.org and enjoy the show from wherever you’re reading this from!

I can’t believe how quickly the ballet flew by. We ate our cranberry cupcakes sometime during Act II  yet I was still startled when the curtain call came! Thanks to The Nutcracker, I am finally truly in the Christmas spirit. Thank you, Texas Ballet Theater, for finding a way to continue this beloved tradition this year!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,

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