Nutcracker: Rated R

Nutcracker: Rated R cracks open the heart of the classic children’s ballet to uncover drugs, sex, family secrets and all the other delights that make the Holidays so special.

Little ballerina Clara is now a rebellious teen. Her disdain for her bourgeois family is challenged when her uncle Drosselmeyer takes her back in time to early 1980s New York. There, she discovers the seamy underground club scene and her family’s untold history. Echoes of the original Tchaikovsky score mix with contemporary, unexpected beats to complement a range of movement from ballet to breakdance and burlesque. Angela Harriell’s interpretation is a dark, witty and satirical homage to (and cautionary tale about) the excesses of nightlife.

EXTENDED! Added performances Friday and Saturday, January 5 and 6, at 8pm.