A Christmas Celebration: The Nutcracker / Hansel and Gretel (3-DVD)

This box set offers two yuletide-themed stage productions suitable for the whole family, each one mounted and filmed at Britain's esteemed Royal Opera House. First on the bill is a Royal Ballet production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, starring Miyako Yoshida as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Steven McRae as The Prince. Peter Wright designed and mounted the production and choreographed. Next on the bill is The Royal Opera's production of composer Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, with Angelika Kirchschlager and Diana Damrau as the two leads and Anja Silja as the Witch. For this production, Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier co-direct for the stage; Christian Fenouillat designed the sets; Agostino Cavalca created the costumes; and The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Tiffin Boys' Choir and Children's Chorus provide additional accompaniment.