When it comes to nutcrackers, June Kreutzkampf is no purist. Her nutcrackers don't have to be made in Germany and they don't have to be expensive. But they do have to be made of wood and a real ...

Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet “The Nutcracker” belongs to the beloved category, like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and Handel’s “Messiah,” of cultural gateway drug. It’s the rare live classical performance ...