The Nutcracker

Monday 14 December 2026, 18:00Operaen - Hovedscenen, Oslo

About the concert

No Christmas without it: The Nutcracker is back - ready to make Advent magical for young and old alike! It is winter in Christiania in 1905. Clara is caught between childhood and adulthood, and feels left out at the big Christmas party. The mysterious dollmaker Drosselmeyer gives her a wooden nutcracker doll - and when Clara falls asleep, the doll is transformed into a real prince! But it is not only the doll that is transformed: the guests turn into rats and mice, and all the Christmas presents come to life and ask for a dance - led by Drosselmeyer. In an overgrown, slightly scary universe, the prince and Clara must fight the creatures, with the Rat King himself at their head. The Christmas ballet above all others Every Christmas The Nutcracker is danced by ballet companies the world over. The story is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's fairytale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". The version Nasjonalballetten dances was choreographed by Kaloyan Boyadjiev, and has found its way to the ballet companies in Bordeaux and Leipzig. In our production the action is set in Norway's capital more than a hundred years ago, where Clara's diplomat family receives guests from many countries. Nasjonalballetten's dancers share the stage with pupils from Nasjonalballettskolen, who all interpret a multitude of roles - from the prince, Little and Big Clara and rats to waffles with sour cream. And when the curtain rises to Tchaikovsky's music performed by Operaorkestret, there are some in the auditorium who are watching ballet for the very first time ... Artistic team and performers Concept Kaloyan Boyadjiev, Jon Bausor Direction and choreography Kaloyan Boyadjiev Music Pyotr Tchaikovsky Set design Jon Bausor Costume design Jon Bausor, Bregje van Balen Lighting design James Farncombe Musical direction Julie Røssland, Kevin Rhodes Nasjonalballetten, Operaorkestret, Nasjonalballettskolen, Barnekoret

Programme

Performers

Operaorkestret
Ensemble

Operaorkestret

Symphony orchestra · Oslo
See Operaorkestret
Nasjonalballetten
Ensemble

Nasjonalballetten

Opera institution · Oslo
See Nasjonalballetten
Barnekoret
Ensemble

Barnekoret

Choir/vocal ensemble · Oslo
See Barnekoret
Musicians
  • Julie Røssland
  • Kevin Rhodes
  • Nasjonalballettskolen

RECORDINGS OF THE WORKS

Pjotr Tsjajkovskij: Nøtteknekkeren, op. 71

Whole work

Watch on NRK TV (2020)More recordings on Kulturbase

Videos from Kulturbase

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