A unique and heartwarming interpretation of a beloved classic
Christmas, 1918, Pulaski Depot. The guns in France at last are quiet. The boys come home and are reunited with their loved ones. Gone are the brutal months of trench warfare and the anxious months spent waiting at home. Families can once again celebrate together, singing “Peace on earth, Goodwill toward men.”
This is the backdrop for the story of young Clara, eagerly waiting for her brother Perry to return. Westover Ballet’s Nutcracker 1918 takes her on a journey of vivid imaginations and finally brings her to a heartwarming conclusion.
Our story is inspired by the WWI journal of Pulaski native, Robert Perry Millirons, and was first performed in 2018.
The story behind the story…
Perry Millirons really lived in Pulaski, Virginia. The opening letters read in Nutcracker 1918 are taken from his actual WWI journal, and the character of Clara’s brother onstage is dressed in Perry’s actual WWI uniform.
Perry grew up in Pulaski’s Little Walkers Creek community before being suddenly plucked from home and thrust into the trenches of WWI France. A year after the war, he married Mary Eula King and settled down in Little Creek to farm and raise a family. Perry and Eula had four children, one of whom was my Grandmother.
—Katherine Okie, Nutcracker 1918 choreographer
Did you know?
Nutcracker 1918 is also available in print!
Featuring dancers from Westover Ballet, and photographed at the historic Pulaski depot, the actual site of Perry Millirons’ homecoming!
Copies will be available for purchase at the show.
Westover Ballet 