The special instrument played for the Sugarplum Fairy's solo is a celesta. Tschaikovsky used the newly-invented celesta to make the music for the Sugarplum Fairy sound like the "sprays of a fountain."
Most of the scenery in the production is actually painted fabric, making it easier for travel and storage.
About 40 gallons of flame-retardant paper confetti is used for the snow scene in each performance. Afterward, the stagehands sweep up the "snow" and it is reused.
It takes 4 crew members to create the illusion of a glistening snow fall.
The largest costume is Mother Ginger's dress, measuring approximately 8 feet high and 12 feet wide; standing on stilts as eight children (Polychinelles) emerge from under his skirt.
Pennsylvania Ballet is one of the few companies to use a hydraulic tree that operates with the push of a button. The current tree was designed by David P. Gordon and created by Adirondack Scenic, Inc. for its debut in December 2000.
The current production premiered in December 2007 to widespread critical acclaim and breaking all previous sales records.
Many of the 192 new costumes were made by Royal National Theatre in London and then shipped to the United States. It cost nearly $8,000 to ship everything to our studios!