In 1953, as the story goes, New York City Center gave George Balanchine $25,000 to produce The Nutcracker, and the impresario spent it all on one purchase: Act 1's magical tree. That gesture helped set the stage for one of the most extravagant—and lucrative—holiday-ballet traditions. Today, Nutcracker performances generate an average of 18 to 20 percent of dance companies' annual ticket revenues, according to Dance/U.S.A. No other production even comes close to those returns. On December 14, the Pennsylvania Ballet will premiere a new Nutcracker that it hopes will make $2.25 million in ticket sales. A shipping-to-sugarplums breakdown:

Costume budget:
$500,000

Costume shipping from London to Philadelphia:
$8,000

Pointe shoes for cast:
Nearly $20,000

Set budget:
$300,000

Fifty-member orchestra:
$230,000

Marketing budget:
$500,000

Miscellaneous:
$10,200

Total production cost:
$1,568,200