Just as surely that every December stockings will be hung, malls will become volatile swarms of madness and It's a Wonderful Life will clog television schedules, The Nutcracker will be performed at local venues - including at Mt. Tahoma High school by the Washington Contemporary Ballet. Set to Tchaikovsky's most famous composition, the classic ballet about a little girl and a magical toy that comes to life one fateful Christmas Eve is as timeless as a sunset, and the WCB has been staging the ballet since 1998. So pack up the family and enjoy a night of sugar-plum fairies and rat kings. It's a holiday tradition that's as constant as getting handmade socks from Grandma. {WV}

THE NUTCRACKER, 7 p.m., Mt. Tahoma High School, 4634 S. 74th St., Tacoma, $18, 253.474.4312