The Ultimate Holiday Tradition

A chat with Houston Ballet's charming Nutcracker Prince

Each December, without fail, Houston audiences are treated to the visual spectacle that is Houston Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.

Photo by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox, courtesy of Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet principal Jessica Collado as the Snow Queen and artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker.

Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score and using artistic director Stanton Welch's concept and choreography since 2016, The Nutcracker dazzles more than 70,000 patrons each year.

The opulent staging transports the audience from Clara's Victorian home to the magical Land of Sweets, as one Christmas night the little girl receives an enchanted nutcracker doll from her Uncle Drosselmeyer.

Nearly every member of Houston Ballet participates, with the cast rounded out by hundreds of young dancers from the community and Houston Ballet Academy.

Making his Nutcracker debut this year is principal dancer Skylar Campbell, who joined Houston Ballet in 2022 but was sidelined by injury last holiday season.

He recently sat down with CultureMap to discuss his dual roles of Drosselmeyer and the Nutcracker Prince in the ballet, which runs November 24-December 27 at Wortham Theater Center.

CultureMap: How does Stanton Welch’s version of The Nutcracker differ from other iterations?

Skylar Campbell: Stanton’s version pushes the boundaries of what you think of a typical Nutcracker. The sheer amount of costume changes that the majority of the company has to do is unparalleled to others [editor's note: Tim Goodchild designed costumes for 45 mortal characters and 237 fantasy characters]. It's definitely not easy for the dancers either, but it's rewarding in the sense that it creates a spectacle and magical experience for audiences.

CM: Tell us about the roles you're dancing.

SC: This is my first time playing Drosselmeyer and I've had a lot of fun learning it with the rehearsal directors, some of whom have done the role before themselves. I've been given a lot of great info.

Approaching Drosselmeyer, I envision myself as a enigmatic, globe-trotting magician. With a knack for inspiring awe and enchantment, he aims to bring a touch of beauty and wonder to the world with his magical talents and mystique. I'm definitely not trying to be a mean old man who’s bitter about Christmas, or like a Scrooge-type figure.

This is new for me to play a character who’s older in age! But I think he's here to bring mystery and light and really change the energy of the show. When he first enters, he's surrounded by a lot of jubilance and then he balances that with a different tone. That excites people and draws them in — it's up to the audience to decide whether he actually changes the world or if Clara is just dreaming. It's exciting to think about him that way.

CM: And the Nutcracker Prince?

SC: The Prince for me is more of this regal and imaginative character, a free-spirited figure in the story who's in search of love and happiness and joy and dance.

Drosselmeyer is a real person and has more of a journey, while the Prince is the imagination of the Nutcracker (who he turns into when he and Clara travel to the Land of Sweets).

It's not uncommon for Drosselmeyers to also dance the Prince in this production, and it's interesting to see that a lot of their steps are the same, just on different sides. Stanton has them both dancing together at the end of Act I and into Act II, so it's been fun learning both parts.

CM: What is your favorite part about being in The Nutcracker?

SC: This is my first time dancing a new production after doing The Nutcracker in Canada [Campbell was with the National Ballet of Canada from 2009-2021], and it's refreshing and exciting to take on a new-to-me interpretation of a holiday classic.

Since it comes around every year, it really gives us unique opportunities to play and explore — it never gets old.

CM: Why do you think the audience returns year after year?

SC: I'm always surprised with the amount of characters there are in this ballet! There are so many things to look at that you can come back two or three times and will always see something new.

I always like to remind myself that at The Nutcracker there is always going to be someone who’s seeing ballet for the first time. It's something that I remember seeing as a kid too, and those first memories really stick with you. So we try to remember that each performance is inspiring a new generation of audience members and dance-goers, and as company members and professional dancers, we respect that and still take it seriously.

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Houston Ballet's The Nutcracker runs at the Wortham Theater Center from November 24-December 27. Tickets start at $30, and can be purchased by calling 713-227-2787 or visiting the website.

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doubling down

Shepherd School builds on 50 years with a 2026-27 season of discovery

Rice University Shepherd School of Music

Photo by Michael Stravato

The Shepherd School's 2026-27 season includes six world premieres.

The next generation of classical music doesn’t wait in the wings at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

It walks onto the stage, often with a world premiere in hand, and slaps listeners with music so energetically performed that they might need a glass of wine or a Xanax to come down from the thrill.

Fresh off its milestone 50th anniversary, the Shepherd School’s 2026–27 season doubles down on discovery. The lineup includes six world premieres, the Texas premiere of Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s opera Eurydice, celebrated guest artists, and a steady reminder that Houston audiences can hear rising talent before the rest of the world catches on.

For students, Shepherd continues to function as a foundation where rigorous conservatory training meets the resources of a major research university. For audiences, it’s an invitation to witness artists in the midst of becoming, tackling ambitious repertoire in halls whose acoustics reward every nuance.

The orchestral season, led primarily by Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya, embraces both pillars of the canon and brand-new voices. Opening night sets the tone with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration, the world premiere of Jake Berran’s Probabolophony, winner of the 2026 Cooper Prize, and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis.

The season also launches what is planned as a multi-year exploration of Gustav Mahler with Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” while spotlighting Shepherd faculty members as soloists, including pianist Jon Kimura Parker and oboist Erin Hannigan. Along the way come additional premieres by alumni composers, concerto appearances from competition winners, and opportunities for conducting students to take the podium.

Shepherd will present a fully staged production of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos before mounting the Texas premiere — and first university performance — of Eurydice, with composer Aucoin visiting campus to work directly with students and audiences.

Guest artists add another layer, from Aleko Endowed Artist Julia Bullock collaborating with Shepherd opera students to alumna Kate Soper returning with the acclaimed Wet Ink Ensemble. Chamber concerts, faculty recitals, festivals, and family programming round out a calendar of more than 400 events, many offered for free or at low cost.

The season also includes the Adventurous Electric Guitar Festival at Wortham Theatre, where concerts, workshops, and presentations explore contemporary electric guitar and electroacoustic performance in collaboration with Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs (REMLABS).

Notably, the school will also inaugurate its undergraduate orchestral conducting degree, the only program of its kind in the nation.

This author recently caught Miguel Harth-Bedoya deep in score study before a concert, next to his visiting family, meticulously parsing Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso.

It was a fitting snapshot of the institution itself: Craftsmanship behind moments that can feel effortless once the lights dim and the music begins. That dedication has defined Shepherd for more than 50 years, and the 2026–27 season suggests the next movement is well underway.

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