If you’ve never experienced the jazz version of The Nutcracker Suite before, you’re in for a treat!

Legendary composer/arrangers Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington brilliantly reimagined the classic Tchaikovsky ballet for a full-sized jazz orchestra. Taking cues from the vintage stylings of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, the Leading Ladies blend beloved jazz and blues classics with fresh, original arrangements and a high-energy, swingin’ performance style. Directed by trombonist Casey Thomas-Burns, this dynamic and vibrant group of women first came together to perform a single show in 2019. They’ve stuck together ever since.

About the film: The Nutcracker at Wethersfield (Annie Sundberg, 2025, 83 min)

Back in the long, dark Covid winter of 2020, there was no way the New York City Ballet could mount its beloved traditional Christmas production of Tchaikovsky’s magical fairytale. But choreographer Troy Schumacher had a dream to save the show and get his fellow dancers back to work. Relocating two hours’ drive north of Time Square, Troy set about staging The Nutcracker in and around the magnificent Wethersfield country estate in the Hudson Valley. With only a couple of weeks to rehearse, 50 dancers and production crew come together to reimagine a classic without a stage, wings, or even seats for the socially-distanced audience.

Award-winning filmmaker Annie Sundberg (The Devil Comes on Horseback) was on hand to celebrate their trials and triumphs.