# Growing Christmas Tree For The Nutcracker



## gmff (Sep 12, 2011)

I was asked to make a growing tree for the Nutcracker. I would like some suggestions if any.
Thanks!!


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## sk8rsdad (Sep 12, 2011)

You may want to type "nutcracker tree" into the search box at the upper left of the screen. There are a number of threads already about this topic. It would also help if you could provide some sense of your production budget, performance venue, touring requirements, style choices for the rest of the production, etc. so we can narrow in on your specific production requirements.


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## ElectroCarp (Sep 15, 2011)

If youre looking to make it a drop and fly it I have a good solution if youre trying to go that route, which i think would be the cheapest and simplest provided that you have a fly system.


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## MrsFooter (Sep 15, 2011)

I would suggest a roomy pot with plenty of water and sunlight.

(Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

I guess what I'm trying to say is we need more details. I've seen a bajillion of these things done, some quite successfully, some laughably bad. There are a million different variables that dictate which version yours will be. 

Of course, sk8ersdad's suggestion of starting with a search is an excellent one!


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## Lambda (Sep 15, 2011)

For the christmas show we have every year, we use a drop that's in the shape of a christmas tree, painted up to look like one. For lights, it has LED christmas lights that poke through holes in the canvas. Since it never leaves low trim during the show, we just run an edison cable to power it from the bottom. If you intend to fly it, you'd have to arrange the cable as it would be for an electric lineset.


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## Van (Sep 16, 2011)

MrsFooter said:


> ... I've seen a bajillion of these things done,...


How Many is a Bajillion ? That's not a real number is it ?


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## Grog12 (Sep 17, 2011)

Van said:


> How Many is a Bajillion ? That's not a real number is it ?


 
Indefinite and fictitious numbers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Oh literal Grog


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## MrsFooter (Sep 17, 2011)

Van said:


> How Many is a Bajillion ? That's not a real number is it ?



More than "a bunch" but less than "a metric ass-ton."


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## Heth (Oct 14, 2011)

Our ballet theatre is needing to construct one as well. I have googled and searched everywhere. Ours needs to grow and be 3D. We borrowed one last year and it was some sort of bar/filament structure that folded and was wrapped in garland. If anyone has any drawings or plans it would be greatly appreciated. It needs to grow from 9 to 20 ft and be 15ft wide. Our budget is around 1k. It will hang from a fly system.

Heather


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## Tex (Oct 15, 2011)

Van said:


> How Many is a Bajillion ? That's not a real number is it ?


Buttload x 1000 = Bajillion


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## kicknargel (Oct 16, 2011)

A company I used to work for had one that was a series of concentric, horizontal D-shaped steel "hoops", linked together with chain, and wrapped in garland. They were D-shaped so the tree could be flattened half-round--at its biggest about 16' wide and 4' deep. We had a big groundrow of presents, so that you could let the biggest hoops pile up on the floor behind the presents, and the tree would be 10' tall or whatever. Then when you flew the lineset out, it would pick up the next and the next larger hoops off the floor, and grow.


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## mstaylor (Oct 22, 2011)

Van said:


> How Many is a Bajillion ? That's not a real number is it ?


Bajillion - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
Here's another link.


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## venuetech (Oct 23, 2011)

Ours is D shaped rings of PVC pipe with tee fittings along the D to make candles. (electric) this is all covered by a green fabric with much decoration and festooning of garland. 
the largest D is about 4x8 so it all fits into a box of that size about 3.5" deep.



> From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia.
> 
> Bajillion in Culture
> 
> ...


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## gafftaper (Oct 23, 2011)

kicknargel said:


> A company I used to work for had one that was a series of concentric, horizontal D-shaped steel "hoops", linked together with chain, and wrapped in garland. They were D-shaped so the tree could be flattened half-round--at its biggest about 16' wide and 4' deep. We had a big groundrow of presents, so that you could let the biggest hoops pile up on the floor behind the presents, and the tree would be 10' tall or whatever. Then when you flew the lineset out, it would pick up the next and the next larger hoops off the floor, and grow.


 
I saw one done essentially the same way but even cheaper by being just a series of flat luan cutouts, linked together and obscured at the bottom by presents. Fly the lineset out a little more and the tree raises up another section. Not spectacular but really simple and cheap. You can also use this technique without the lineset by running aircraft cable and pulleys if you are in a theater with no fly system. The great thing about this approach is it can be as big as you want it to be and the tree can be as elaborate as your budget can afford. 

As long as we are on the topic why don't we finish it. 
Does anyone have any reasonably priced suggestions of how to do it without a fly system or overhead lifting of any sort? No hydraulics please let's keep it cheap.


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## sk8rsdad (Oct 24, 2011)

There's a small production of Nutcracker that does it with a rig cobbled together with a telescoping pole and a boat winch. It would be similar to using a light-duty hand-crank light stand. They aren't growing to 16 ft though. I think their tree tops out around 12 ft. I vaguely remember them fading to black while the tree is still growing.


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## Mim (Sep 12, 2012)

I've read through several of the Nutcracker tree threads and I believe we will be constructing a new tree from concentric, nesting , PVC D-shaped rings held together by chain or cable. The director wants as real a tree as possible so we are considering attaching fabric to the entire front (stitching pockets for the curved part of each ring to slide into) and attaching evergreen garland and other decorations. My question is - what is the best way to rig this if the front is heavier than the back? In our case the tree grows, then flys out in full view of the audience - so I need to control swing. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated!


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## techieman33 (Sep 12, 2012)

Mim said:


> I've read through several of the Nutcracker tree threads and I believe we will be constructing a new tree from concentric, nesting , PVC D-shaped rings held together by chain or cable. The director wants as real a tree as possible so we are considering attaching fabric to the entire front (stitching pockets for the curved part of each ring to slide into) and attaching evergreen garland and other decorations. My question is - what is the best way to rig this if the front is heavier than the back? In our case the tree grows, then flys out in full view of the audience - so I need to control swing. Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated!



One of the nutcrackers I do has a similar tree and it's heavy enough and grows slow enough that you don't see any swing. It's also attached to the tree box at the bottom of it's full height so that it doesn't move when fully grown.


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