OVATION TV'S "BATTLE OF THE NUTCRACKERS" RETURNS FOR AN 11TH YEAR

Fan Favorite TV Event Adds Peter Wright's Nutcracker Productions with The Australian Ballet and The Royal Opera House

Los Angeles, CA - November 15, 2017 Ovation TV, America's only arts network, will air its 11th annual "Battle of the Nutcrackers" starting Monday, December 11. The fan-favorite holiday programming event invites viewers to vote for their favorite rendition of Tchaikovsky's classic ballet on Ovation TV's Facebook page.

This year's "battle," which features five different productions of The Nutcracker, culminates with the viewer favorite being revealed and repeated on Monday, December 18 at 7:00am ET. Here are this year's featured productions:

Peter Wright's The Nutcracker - The Australian Ballet

An Ovation TV Premiere airing Monday, December 11 at 7:00am ET

Created for Birmingham Royal Ballet and now performed by The Australian Ballet, Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker is considered the world's most beautiful.

Peter Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King - The Dutch National Ballet

Airing Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00am ET

Unlike the original story, the production by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling (who also designed the delightful sets and costumes) does not take place on Christmas Eve in a German town, but during St. Nicholas celebrations in Amsterdam, around 1810.

The Nutcracker - Semperoper

Airing Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00am ET

Based on the celebrated original ballet libretto by Marius Petipa, choreographers Aaron S. Watkin and Jason Beechey have joined forces to create a production from the Semperoper highlighting the work's fairy-tale aspects and visual opulence.

The Nutcracker - Berlin State Opera

Airing Thursday, December 14 at 7:00am ET

The Nutcracker is a magical fairytale full of vivacity and life and its musical brilliance is brought to its peak through the interpretation of the renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim and star Vladimir Malakhov.

Royal Opera House - The Nutcracker

An Ovation TV Premiere Airing Friday, December 15 at 7:00am ET

This all-time ballet favorite, in which young girl Clara is taken on a fantasy adventure when one of her Christmas presents comes to life, is gloriously put on stage in Peter Wright's 2016 production, with choreography by Lev Ivanov.

All five productions will also be available on VOD. Voting will occur via Ovation's Facebook page from December 11 to December 16.