December’s Vogue 2009, on newsstands nationwide November 24th, highlights some of most talented individuals of our generation: dancers, musicians, and actors all beautifully captured by photographer Annie Leibovitz for the annual Arts issue. Now live on Vogue.com, an exclusive peek behind the scenes with Annie Leibovitz and Vogue’s Creative Director Grace Coddington as they discuss the making of the Arts issue and their visually stunning feature of Hansel and Gretel inspired by the Metropolitan Opera’s production opening December 14th.

Actor Andrew Garfield and model Lily Cole play the title characters who come upon a Marc Jacobs clad witch, played by the always dramatic Lady Gaga (and, once again, she doesn’t disappoint). But not all the drama transpired in front of the camera, in the video Coddington describes Gaga’s provocative arrival to the set, “in order for us to have a clean palate to work with, she turned up completely naked under a white rubber rain coat.”

Also featured in the video is cover star, Cate Blanchett, leader of the Palast Orchester, Max Raabe, and saxophonist James Mooney.

The full Hansel and Gretel feature with Lady Gaga