By Bobby McGuire
Let’s be real: between your cousin’s toddler in a mouse costume and the thousandth performance of the Balanchine ballet, we’ve all seen enough nutcrackers to last a lifetime. Enter Company XIV’s Nutcracker Rouge, the glitter-dusted, fabulously naughty yuletide rebellion we never knew we needed. Celebrating its 15th year as the only holiday tradition that tells you to leave the kiddos at home, this is the one you’ll actually brag about.
The brainchild of director/choreographer Austin McCormick, Nutcracker Rouge takes bits of that familiar Tchaikovsky score, an original composition by resident songwriter LEXXE, some Vivaldi, The Eurythmics, and even a campy Frankie Avalon song, and uses them as the soundtrack for his signature blend of baroque dance, circus, opera, cabaret, and burlesque.
The story’s structural elements remain the same: After being gifted a nutcracker, Marie Claire falls asleep and dreams of snow and sweets. But forget the growing tree and dancing mice. McCormick’s version skips the vermin, but there’s plenty of skin and a parade of breathtaking, bawdy acts.
Pepper Solana emcees as magical toymaker Drosselmeyer, guiding the audience through a world where Kylie Rose, as Champagne, walks on bottles before her aerial act. Real-life twins Nicholas and Ross Katen deliver a hilarious tap-dancing strip routine as the Banana Split, and the ensemble’s cancan delivers a whirlwind of controlled chaos, complete with a comically huge phallus waved by Mother Ginger, because a lollipop would be silly? The evening builds to a climactic and seductive pas de deux.
McCormick keeps the show fresh every year with new acts. Kyla Ranney’s gravity-defying straps performance and Erin Dillon’s mesmerizing lyra work sweeten this year’s edition. Costume and scenic designer Zane Pihlström returns to dial up the wow factor with bedazzled garments and Company XIV’s quintessential seductive flair.
The trip to Bushwick, Brooklyn, far from the mainstream holiday fare at Lincoln Center or Radio City Music Hall, is an absolute must for grown-ups looking for a naughty Nutcracker.
5/5 stars
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Fast facts: ‘Nutcracker Rouge’
Company XIV’s Nutcracker Rouge remains the only holiday tradition that trades sugar plums for champagne bottles and proves grown-ups deserve their own seasonal magic.
- Théâtre XIV, 383 Troutman Street, Brooklyn
- Running time: Approximately two hours with two intermissions
- Performances through January 31, 2026
