GET READY TO CRACK SOME NUTS WIDE OPEN
Christmas can be very sexy if you step into the sumptuous world of Théâtre XIV in trendy Bushwick, and catch Company XIV’s neo-Baroque classic Nutcracker Rouge. Naughty, sensual, lavish, this decadent extravaganza is the perfect welcome to the holiday season, and certainly not family oriented so leave the (underage) kids at home. The location alone is worth the trip; it feels like being inside a secret New York speakeasy or a risqué Parisian club in the Twenties; it’s definitely another dimension.
This was the second Company XIV show I saw; Queen of Hearts blew my mind so I had high expectations, which were met and then some. Creator, producer, and director Austin McCormick knows how to balance circus arts and ballet with soul and pop music, and he uses burlesque as the glue — a unique way to entertain, very different from Cirque du Soleil. The Nutcracker story is vaguely the same: There is a little girl and a bunch of Christmas presents that come alive in her dream, but all the characters are half-naked — some wearing only a thong and glitter pasties, some with hilarious stuffed penises — and the Christmas presents, besides desserts like ginger-bread people, are champagne, smoke, absinthe, and sex.
Megumi “Meg” Iwama is a wonderful Marie-Claire, eager to run wild, childish but elegantly mischievous, a talented ballerina who demonstrates all her diverse skills. Duana Taste, another engaging ballerina, also delivers a stunning performance — precise, perfectly balanced and controlled — and her dances are enhanced by her height (traditionally, the ideal ballet body is considered to be petite — nonsense). Singers Pepper Solana and Lindsey Rose bridge the different sketches, Solana with a powerful, memorable voice that can bend genres, Rose with soulful, more soothing tones, both remarkable artists.
All the dancers — classically trained — perform complicated acrobatic stunts on a trapeze, gravity-defying skits on a hanging large ring, graceful dance routines, and hilarious burlesque acts. Troy Lingelbach, Nolan, Alisa Mae, and Donna Carnow have all my respect and awe. Same with Nicholas and Ross Katen, who act and move in glittering G-strings and dangerously high heels, adding chic and naughty comedic mayhem every time they are on stage. And to Clairisa S. Patton, Adam Tabellija, Kylie Rose, Marcos Antonio, Erin Dillon, Joey Columbus: Bel lavoro, bravi tutti! I stopped caring about who was who in the Nutcracker plot because I was completely mesmerized by their remarkable talent.
Brian Tovar‘s lighting design keeps the stage dark and evocative, like a Weimar-era nightclub; color is infused all around us by Zane Pihlström’s brilliant scenic designs and costumes (the ensemble is often among the audience and the entire theater is a set); and Charlie August Kellogg’s wigs that make Paris Is Burning look like child’s play. The score is an eclectic mix of classical music, jazz, dance and pop covers by sound designer Julian Evans. Nutcracker Rouge is a unique show from a uniquely talented company — imaginative, sultry, titillating. Not just a different experience to start the Holiday Season, but something you will never forget, I promise.
photos by Mark Shelby Perry, Deneka Peniston and Chad Wagner
Nutcracker Rouge
Company XIV
Théâtre XIV, 383 Troutman Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn
Dec. schedule: Tues-Fri at 8; Sat at 5 & 10; Sun at 6; Mon at 8 (Dec. 23)
Jan/Feb schedule: Thurs & Fri at 8; Sat at 5 & 10; Sun at 6
(doors open an hour early)
ends on February 1, 2025
ages 21 and up only
for tickets ($109 to $199 singles), visit Company XIV
couches for two ($499-$599) include a half bottle of champagne brut and treats
