E-Mail This Article to a Friend Theo returns! …to play music

THE NUTCRACKER

Last year, Boston Ballet put the world’s most-watched version of The Nutcracker up against a touring company of Rockettes in their Radio City Christmas Spectacular in the battle for Boston holiday supremacy, and its (slightly) scaled down show was up to the challenge. This year, the Ballet moves its Nutcracker into the Opera House, and its competition is another out-of-towner, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas at the Wang; we’re betting Clara and the gang will hold their own once again. Boston Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Opera House, 539 Tremont St, Boston | November 25–December 31 | $25-$110 | 617.695.6955.

CELEBRITY SERIES UPDATE

American orchestras aren’t the only ones worried about budget cuts: the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg just announced that it’s cancelling a North American tour "due to loss of government subsidy." Bank of America’s Celebrity Series is replacing the Mozarteum with the Italian chamber orchestra I MUSICI, which will perform alongside originally scheduled soloist Stephen Hough in works by Rossini, Castelnuovo-Tesdesco, and Paganini plus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 14 and Serenata notturna in D K.239. They’ll be at Symphony Hall, 301 Mass Ave | Sunday March 5 @ 3 pm | 617.482.6661.

BALLCLUB BENEFITS

Theo Epstein may have bid farewell to the Fenway front office, but he hasn’t said sayonara to "Hot Stove, Cool Music," the annual benefit thrown by ESPN’s Peter Gammons to benefit the Jimmy Fund. Theo’s booked to play the next edition with his pals in Buffalo Tom, on a bill that also includes Gammons, Kay Hanley, the Gentlemen, and Furvis. No word on how many Sox will show up to support their old GM, though the benefit has traditionally attracted a bunch of players, including reliever-turned-one-man-grunge-songbird Bronson Arroyo. That’s at the Paradise, 967 Comm Ave, Boston | January 8 | $40 | 617.931.2000. | Meanwhile, Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler has put together a Texas Hold ’Em charity poker tournament — with fellow players to be named later — to benefit his Gabe Kapler Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting domestic abuse. The one-night tourney offers a top prize of an expense-paid seat in a World Poker Tour event in Atlantic City. Buy-in is $250, and attendance is limited to 300 | Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2 Forbes Road, Woburn | December 7 | 781.690.2565.