Adults-Only 'New York Nutcracker' Hits Lincoln Center for One Night

Lincoln Center has seen its fair share of sugar plum fairies, but has it ever seen this ?

For just one night, on December 18, The New York Nutcracker , a decidedly grown-up twist on the holiday classic, will shimmy its way into the David Rubinstein Atrium. It’s the first time the institution has ever presented a parody of its own marquee holiday productions.

The show, which has built a downtown following through sold-out runs at The Paradise Factory in past years, reimagines Clara’s journey as a downtown-meets-uptown fever dream set in performer Pearls Daily’s first New York apartment on Christmas Eve in Harlem. Cabaret, burlesque, comedy, dance and original shadow puppetry all come out to play in the 90-minute spectacular that’s guided—sometimes gently, sometimes not—by Tchaikovsky’