Santa and the Symphony Sensory Friendly Concert at McCoy
FamilyMusicSeasonal
Such Sweet Thunder moves its sold-out holiday staple, Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite, to the Lincoln Theatre for 3:00 and 8:00 p.m. shows on December 19, 2026.
Such Sweet Thunder plays Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 East Long Street, on Saturday, December 19, 2026, with a 3:00 p.m. matinee and an 8:00 p.m. evening show. Columbus Jazz presents the concert.
The band, organized by Ryan Hamilton, has played the suite every December for years at Natalie's Grandview, where it routinely sold out. Moving to the Lincoln gives more people a seat. Ellington and Billy Strayhorn recorded their swing version of Tchaikovsky's ballet in 1960, renaming movements with titles like Sugar Rum Cherry and Toot Toot Tootie Toot, and turning the familiar melodies into showcases for horn soloists.
Alongside the suite, Such Sweet Thunder adds new arrangements of its own. The Lincoln sits in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville district, once the center of Columbus jazz, which makes the venue a fitting home for this tradition.
