Why do some nutcracker productions have the Prince wearing a mask?

[MageFilms]

Some seem not to have one, and some do. 

 

Is it a case of the preference of the director is there another reason?

[Jan McNulty]

In my experience the Nutcracker starts off as a doll, then becomes a human doll with mask and then in some productions becomes human Prince without mask.

[Peanut68]

I've been a bit confused by this one too....& my thoughts may be way off the mark but.....

My interpretation it that the nutcracker doll comes to life in Clara's dream, but it is she who shrinks down to the size of the Nutcracker doll when dancing with him...falling in love with him through his bravery slaying King Rat & willing him to become a real prince...hence the mask comes off & he turns into a life size Prince (in her dream). Not all productions follow my take on the story...I find it really confusing when they have separate dancers for the Prince & the Nutcracker....Surely the whole point is Clara dreams she has grown up & won her Prince so she is the Princess dancing with the Prince....& that she has 'freed' the Prince from a curse that made him a Nutcracker..... I thought perhaps the Prince was a poor soldier...deemed a coward who was thus cursed to be a mere Nutcracker Doll...then along comes Clara...he falls in love...has to show his bravery to rescue her from the Rats & so after all proves himself to be a worthy soldier & so can once again be a Prince. There are so many typical Fairy Tale themes translatable into so many ballet storylines!