For the first time, Boston Ballet will bring Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker to homes across New England through a broadcast partnership with NBC10 Boston.
The beloved holiday ballet will be broadcast as a one-hour special excerpted from the 2019 production, with featured narration by Hoda Kotb (TODAY) and Colton Bradford (NBC10 Boston’s The Hub Today) as Drosselmeier. The broadcast also features local talent, including NBC10 Boston’s JC Monahan and Telemundo’s Grace Gómez and Miguel García.
The Nutcracker will air on NBC10 Boston on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m., with encore airings and on-demand viewing opportunities on NBC10 Boston, NECN and Spanish-language station Telemundo Boston. It will also be available free of charge on bostonballet.org for a limited time.
“The Nutcracker is a cherished holiday tradition in New England, and I am thrilled we can continue the tradition this year,” Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen said. “I am delighted that more audiences than ever before can experience the magic of The Nutcracker, as well as the talent of our artists.”
Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, created for Boston Ballet in 2012, is one of the largest builds the company has ever done, engaging craftspeople from across the United States.
Acclaimed, award winning scenic and costume designer Robert Perdziola illustrated more than 40 sketches that were transformed into the production’s larger-than-life sets that range from calm, subtle colors in the Act I party scene to vibrant colors in Act II’s Nutcracker Kingdom. The production also incorporated more than 350 beautifully intricate costumes, designed by Perdziola. Lighting design is by renowned Finnish designer Mikki Kunttu.
The Boston Ballet Orchestra, the second largest musical organization in New England, led by Boston Ballet Music Director Mischa Santora, performs Tchaikovsky’s renowned score.
The production is sponsored by Primark, with additional support provided by Hood Eggnog and PNC Bank.
Nissinen's The Nutcracker is based on the libretto by Alexandre Dumas père titled The Tale of the Nutcracker, which is adapted from E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The story follows the wondrous journey of young Clara, who receives a nutcracker as a gift at her family’s Christmas Eve party. Later that night, her nutcracker is magically revealed as a handsome prince, who leads her through an enchanted forest and on to the Nutcracker Prince’s Kingdom.
When to watch:
Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. on NBC10 Boston
Sunday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. on NECN
Saturday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. on Telemundo
Friday, Dec. 25 at 5 p.m. on Telemundo
Friday, Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. on NBC10 Boston
For more information, please visit bostonballet.org.