What’s a fairy tale without a bad guy? In Nutcracker, the King of the Mice fills that role, with just enough menace to keep it interesting, and just enough style (and humor) that he’s not completely unsympathetic.
In E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “Nutcracker and Mouse King,” the seven-headed Mouse King is the son of Madam Mouserink, who herself has an extensive backstory. The ballet is based on (less scary) adaptation of Hoffman’s story by Alexander Dumas.
San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker has featured several stylings of Mice Kings since the 1944 premiere. The only image that remains of the original Mouse King, created at the end of WWII, is Russell Hartley’s costume sketch.