WDRB's Christmas Broadcast of The Brown-Forman Nutcracker

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- WDRB Media and the Louisville Ballet are excited to partner again this Christmas to bring you The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, with choreography by Val Caniparoli.

CLICK HERE to watch the production in its entirety, or view it in the player below:

Audiences were unable to experience the Louisville Ballet in person this season because of COVID-19 restrictions, so this Emmy Award-winning presentation is being brought to viewers in Kentuckiana and around the world on the WDRB website and streaming platforms. The production can also be seen on WDRB-TV at 9 a.m. Christmas morning.

The Louisville Orchestra provides the beautiful music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for this story about a young girl, Marie, who receives a nutcracker as a gift at a party. As she is sleeping, the nutcracker comes to life, fights the Rat King and his minions, and escorts the beautiful young girl to the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets.

Louisville’s version of this Christmas tradition debuted in 2009, thanks to funding from Brown-Forman Corporation. Look closely, and you’ll see familiar sights, like the St. James Court Fountain or a street sign at the corner of Brown and Forman. Instead of dancing polichinelles emerging from Mother Ginger’s skirt, as in George Balanchine’s Nutcracker, you’ll see Mother Derby and her little jockeys.

"This production of the Nutcracker being so Louisville and Kentucky centric should be shared with the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky. We should make sure that our production with our ballet company and our orchestra, in our theater with our audiences, is shared on televisions across the commonwealth," said Robert Curran, Louisville Ballet Artistic Director.

Curran says he’s excited to reach an even larger audience through television, but hopes people will want to experience it in person: "I want for them to have a really beautifully satisfying experience in that moment, but I also want them to understand ... I beg the audience who watch this on television to come and try it live. Come and see us. Come wearing whatever you want. We have ticket prices for everyone. Just come and see. Give it a go. You won’t be disappointed."

WDRB's Kyle Lizenby and Michael Farnon won a regional Emmy Award for directing this production.

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker is presented on WDRB Media with support from Lexus of Louisville.