When Dudamel last led The Nutcracker in concert with the LA Phil in 2013, the Los Angeles Times’ Mark Swed wrote the music was “irresistible” and “reinvigorated,” noting it was a rare treat to experience Tchaikovsky’s score treated as the main attraction with nuance and flow. This time Dudamel conducts the holiday favorite with a twist, when he leads both Tchaikovsky’s original as well as Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington’s swinging reimagination of the many colors and drama of the original.