Two years in the making, it’s finally here. Tonight at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the curtain will rise on the big-budget staging of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” a collaboration between Neglia Ballet Artists and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

It’s the first time since the early 1990s that a local company has had this honor, dancing the world’s most popular ballet on the fabled Shea’s stage. The BPO’s presence puts the icing on this Christmas cake.

“The music was written to be played and danced live,” says Heidi Halt, cofounder of the ballet company with her husband, Sergio Neglia, and supervisor of the production. “It’s really fortunate that we have an opportunity to do this. The town gets to have, we hope, a beautiful production in an incredible venue. There are many cities with major ballet companies where they don’t do ‘Nutcracker’ with orchestra.”

BPO Resident Conductor Matthew Kraemer, who will be conducting the orchestra, has been observing the Neglia rehearsing for several weeks.

“I’m always excited by new productions in general,” Kraemer says. “I’ve done ‘Nutcracker’ several times, but this is the first time with the Neglia. We’ve worked with the Neglia before, but not like this. It’s great when the orchestra is in the pit.”

Peer into the pit, and you’ll see that it is not like the stage of Kleinhans Music Hall.

“We’re moving the strings around, putting woodwinds and brass over to the right. The harp and celeste are up on stage,” Kraemer laughs. “I have to remember, when I cue the bassoons, they’re to my right.”

Like the dancers, Kraemer has to be on his toes. He doesn’t mind.

“If there’s a piece that has to come back year after year, it’s a good thing it’s ‘The Nutcracker,’ ” he says. “It’s good music.”

He confesses he never gets over the grand pas de deux from Act II. “Who would have thought a G major scale would be so gorgeous? It’s so simple, but so gorgeous,” he reflects.

“I think Tchaikovsky is one of the finest composers at building dramatic elements, moving music to soaring climax, building great suspense.”

Dueling Drosselmeyers

Based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffman — whose surreal writings also inspired the opera “The Tales of Hoffman” — “The Nutcracker” is a mix of the romantic and the grotesque.

Set in 19th century Germany, it tells the story of a girl who receives a toy nutcracker for Christmas. Late that night, it comes to life and becomes a prince. Magically grown up, the girl tours the world with the prince, beholding such wonders as the Land of Sweets and dances from Arabia and China.

The grotesque touches come from the life-sized mice the Nutcracker/prince battles and exiles. And from the magician Drosselmeyer, a spooky non-dancing character who hovers on the periphery. (The Neglia’s Drosselmeyer is Vincent O’Neill, from the Irish Classical Theater.)

With its supernatural elements and rapidly shifting scenes, “The Nutcracker” poses a tall order to designers.

“There’s no small scene,” explains Maris Battaglia, whose American Academy of Ballet is staging its annual “Nutcracker” next weekend at UB’s Center for the Arts. “Everything is a huge scene. The party is huge. We’ve got 16 soldiers on stage.”

“It’s a nightmare backstage,” Battaglia confesses. “I drive UB crazy. We have beautiful scenery, but it drives them crazy, it changes so fast.”

The Neglia, as it prepares for its opening tonight, experiences similar concerns.

“If you counted all the set costumes, because there’s maybe 115 different roles, there’s probably about 400 different costume pieces,” Halt says. “Everyone has a headpiece. Soldiers have a hat with a huge feather on it. Jackets, pants, boot covers, shoes, tights — it’s like a big puzzle, a huge puzzle.”

At the same time “The Nutcracker” challenges ballet companies, it also invites excess.

Battaglia, for her UB production, has called in the help of Flying by Foy, the Broadway company that flew Mary Martin in “Peter Pan.” Her Drosselmeyer, Joseph Cipolla of Configuration Dance, goes airborne, and the hero and heroine fly around the world in a hot air balloon.

Neglia designers Donna Massimo and Lynne Koscielniak also let their imaginations run wild, supported by funding from such sources as the Wendt and Oishei foundations.

“They’ve really put their heart and soul into it,” Halt says. “Even the shoes, little black Chinese shoes, they’re decorated with glitter glue, you’d never know it. They’re like sewn-on sequins. It’s stunning. You almost don’t want to wear them, they’re that beautiful.”

The Rat King’s crown

The Neglia’s designers were influenced by Neglia himself.

“They have both done an amazing job of getting into Sergio’s head — he’s a crazy kid, a kid at heart,” Halt says.

“So one thing about this production, it’s basically created by a child, a child’s brain. Sergio loves stories, he likes to tell a story. He builds a dance through the characters.”

In a striking innovation, the Mouse King has been upgraded to the Rat King. He leads a battalion of 12 rats. “Twelve giant rats and all the faces are slightly different and they all have names,” Halt says.

Then there is the matter of the Rat King’s crown.

“It’s made up of gold mouse traps with jewels on them,” Halt says. “And there are little white mice caught in the traps. You might not totally see that unless you’re in the first five rows, but they’re there.”

Shifting stars

As for Neglia himself, he should make one lean, mean Nutcracker. A former soldier in Argentina, he is known for macho roles like the rebellious slave Spartacus, the suicidal Romeo and, most famously, the malevolent Baba Yaga.

Tonight, he will dance the part of the Nutcracker/Prince with his dancing partner, Sherri Campagni. Sunday, the star pair will be acclaimed Lithuanian- born dancers Mindaugas Bauzys and Vilia Putrius.

But even then, Neglia insists on fighting the Rat King himself.

“Sergio does the battle scene in both shows. He loves to battle,” says Halt. “So that’s another thing that’s great. He’s got that war experience.”

A month of Nutcrackers

The Neglia Artists with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Today at 7 p. m.; Sunday, 2 p. m. Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo $29 to $65; 847-1410

The Lockport City Ballet Dec. 4, 7 p. m.; Dec. 5, 2 p. m. and 7 p. m.; Dec. 6, 2 p. m. Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda $13 to $20; 692-2413

The American Academy of Ballet Dec. 5, 1 p. m. and 7 p. m.; Dec. 6, 1 p. m. UB Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo North Campus $18.50 to $26.50; 645-ARTS

Greater Niagara Ballet Dec. 11, 7:30 p. m.; Dec. 12, 2 p. m. and 7:30 p. m. NFHS Performing Arts Center, 4455 Porter Road, Niagara Falls $10 to $15; (877) 236-8055

Buffalo City Ballet Dec. 19, 7 p. m.; Dec. 20, 3 p. m. Buffalo Academy for Visual & Performing Arts, 450 Masten Ave. $16; 833-1243