Review: Nutcracker Rouge Entices Bushwick For Another Glamorous Holiday Season

There’s the Nutcracker and then there is the Nutcracker Rouge. While the traditional ballet is more formal and family-friendly, Nutcracker Rouge is anything but, making for an alluring adult-only spectacle of incredible talent mixed with naughty decadence and a bit of raunchy humor, too. Nutcracker Rouge is not only a ballet but part circus and burlesque, reconstructing everything that we once thought of the original Christmas performance and creating something new and sparkly. 

The gorgeous show comes from creator Austin McCormick who founded Company XIV back in 2006, the brand known for producing intoxicating burlesque and variety acts in two Bushwick locations Théâtre XIV and Cocktail Magique Theatre. 

If you haven’t been to one of the productions hosted by Company XIV, now is the time to see what the hype is all about during the holidays. Enter Théâtre XIV, an unassuming space where you’re greeted by bejeweled burlesque stars at the door who will take you to your seats in front of the intimate stage. Red lighting and smoky haze all makeup for a sultry retreat and the ideal presentation for the glittery, sexy world that will unfold right in front of your eyes. 

This year, we were entranced once again by the seasonal return of baroque and burlesque mixed in with aerial routines overhead and a seductive chanteuse leading our way through each decadent scene more thrilling than the next. However, there were some new acts we kept an eye on, such as the Katen twins who tap-danced their way to a wild and hilarious Banana Split motif, and Donna Carnow, known on the stage as Cotton Candy, who impressed the audience with her graceful yet mesmerizing talents swinging from a pole. 

With all floor seating at Théâtre XIV, pretty much every seat in the house is a good one with a nice view of the stage since. While closer to the back, you’ll have chairs to sit on, near the front you can enjoy a cozy couch for two with a split bottle of bubbles to share. If you’re looking to get in closer to the action, there are also seats right up front that line the stage.  

Nutcracker Rouge is now playing with a special performance on New Year’s Eve before closing with its final show on February 1, 2025.

If you head to a Sunday show, you can also check out the other venue Cocktail Magique Theatre afterward for free live jazz and cocktails. You can also sign up for an appointment for the French Kiss Lipstick Readings or catch the variety show from Thursday to Sunday.

Théâtre XIV is located at 383 Troutman Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11237. For tickets and more information, please visit https://companyxiv.com/about/shows/nutcracker-rouge/.

Photos courtesy of Mark Shelby Perry, Paul Asphit, and Deneka Peniston for Nutcracker Rouge by Company XIV and Carissa Chesanek. 

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