FOR an evening of pure festive magic it doesn’t get any better that the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet Nutcracker.
And now the Christmas treat as added another sheen to its gloss by announcing that wizard of Oz Nicolette Frailton is to conduct ten performances of the show at the Birmingham Hippodrome, including the opening night.
Fraillon is music director and chief conductor of The Australian Ballet and a former chief conductor with the National Ballet of the Netherlands.
She has worked with a slate of renowned choreographers and this year conducts Sir Peter Wright’s legendary choreography in a Nutcracker production that has become many people’s annual Christmas treat.
“It’s a huge pleasure to welcome Nicolette back to the UK and to Birmingham in particular,” said John Beadle, orchestra director for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia – the orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet.
“We have had a long and fruitful relationship with The Australian Ballet and Nicolette is an exciting and inspiring conductor. I am really happy that UK audiences will be able to experience her talent in possibly the world’s best version of this classic Christmas ballet.”
The Nutcracker will be conducted by Fraillon for ten of this year’s performances including opening night. Other performances will be conducted by Paul Murphy, Dominic Grier and Jonathan Lo.
Artistic director David Bintley added: “Nicolette is one of the world’s best conductors for ballet and it’s a thrill to have her here at Birmingham Royal Ballet.
“Sir Peter’s Wright’s version of The Nutcracker is rightly held up as one of the best ever produced, born out by the fact that this is its 26th year and I can’t think of a better way of celebrating Sir Peter’s 90th birthday on opening night that having Nicolette wielding the baton.”
The production runs from November 25 to December 13 and tickets cost from £19 at https://www.brb.org.uk/ or call 0844 338 5000
