‘The Nutcracker’ - Start a family tradition by attending Ib Andersen’s production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, complete with dancing snowflakes, devious mice and a magical prince.

NEW CANAAN, Conn. (AP) - The gang's all here: the football fan, the chef, the teacher and the skier. And there's the Nutcracker prince from E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic Christmas story, who inspired them all.

From elaborately decorated trees to drive-through lighting displays to boat parades and train shows, a variety of holiday spectacles are being staged through the end of December and into early January around the country. Here are a few of them.

“The Spirit of Christmas” show at Chandler Center for the Arts is as much fun for the performers as it is for the audience.

The Spirit of Christmas show at Chandler Center for the Arts is as much fun for the performers as it is for the audience.

Through Dec. 24

Four siblings in Ahwatukee Foothills will be performing together for the first time in next month’s production of “The Nutcracker” by the Ahwatukee Foothills Ballet.

There are a few things that, over the years, have become traditions for Valley residents around the holidays: ZooLights. Las Noches de las Luminarias. Hale Centre Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol.” And “The Nutcracker” by Ballet Etudes.

After homework and chores are done, most kids like spending their free time after school watching TV or playing video games.

After homework and chores are done, most kids like spending their free time after school watching TV or playing video games.

Performing Arts 2012-13 season preview

Performing arts 2012-13 season preview

Mesa’s shuttered Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is back, reinvented as the Silver Star Playhouse.

The 13th annual Ahwatukee Foothills Nutcracker Ballet auditions are set for Saturday, Aug. 25 at Dance Studio 111, 4910 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 111, and is open to all dancers in Arizona. Dancers, ages 3 to 21 from all over the Valley have the opportunity to audition. It is the only Nutcracker in our state performed entirely by young dancers and the only Nutcracker ballet presented in the Ahwatukee Foothills community.

Ballet Etudes has announced its auditions for both its company on Aug. 25 and for the dance academy’s production of The Nutcracker on Sept. 8.

‘The show we’re going to tonight is Circus Olé. Right?” my handsome escort (and husband) said jokingly as we trekked west on I-10 into the Friday sunset.