‘Tis the season for the attack of ‘The Nutcracker,’ the holiday staple that never fails to dazzle.  But if you’re the type who runs screaming from the room when you hear the first strains of “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” Dallas playwright Mark-Brian Sonna shares your seasonal angst and offers up the perfect antidote with ‘The Beulaville Baptist Book Club Presents: A Bur-less-Q Nutcracker!’  In this delightfully saucy production – opening Thursday night at the Stone Cottage in Addison – the ladies of the Beulaville Baptist Book Club hire their local ballet company to perform the perennial Tchaikovsky holiday fave, in a last-ditch effort to keep themselves financially afloat.  But when one of the book club’s member’s casseroles sickens the entire cast, the Velvet Kittens Burlesque Dancers step in to save the day.  Whoo-hoo!

And yes, definitely keep in mind that ‘A Bur-less-Q Nutcracker!’ is about as far from family-friendly as you can get, but fear not – there are several other area companies offering up the more traditional approach to the holiday classic, and there’s even a production with marionettes.  More after the jump…

Ballet Ensemble of Texas presents ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Irving Arts Center (11/30 – 12/2)

Texas Ballet Theater presents ‘The Nutcracker’ at Bass Performance Hall (11/30 – 12/16)

Texas Ballet Theater presents ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Fair Park Music Hall (12/20 – 12/24)   

Dallas Children’s Theater & Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts present ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Rosewood Center For Family Arts (11/24 – 12/23)

Metropolitan Classical Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker’ at UTA’s Texas Hall (12/21 – 12/23)

Tuzer Ballet presents ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Eisemann Center (12/22 – 12/23)

*** Know of any other local productions but don’t see them listed here?  Please send an email with all the info to [email protected] – thanks!