One of the best shows you will see this entire year
Out of all the theatre and performing art shows you could possible attend in NYC, Company XIV’s shows are by far the most interesting and unique. Company XIV prides itself in taking classic fairytales and stories and giving it a sexy burlesque twist. So far they have reinterpreted stories like ‘The Nutcracker,’ ‘Cinderella,’ and now they bring to the stage ‘The Queen of Hearts,’ an interpretation on the classic tale ‘Alice in Wonderland.’
The story itself is very similar to the original tale. Alice meets the White Rabbit and follows him into Wonderland. There she meets an array of characters such as the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. And each time that Alice (played by the incredible LEXXE) meets a new character, the entire scenery and mood changes to match the true essence of that character. Company XIV prides itself in showcasing a variety of different dance and performance, and within each scene, there is a new style of performance introduced. From the Mad Hatter (played by Marcy Richardson) which displayed an incredible operatic voice and even more incredible aerial acrobatics performance, all the way to The Queen of Hearts (played by Storm Marrero), who displayed an incredible singing ability. But, regardless of the type of performance medium, there was always a sultry and sensual allure to everyone’s performance.
As far as choreography goes, Austin McCormick, does it again. McCormick is the grandmaster behind all the choreography and his ability in using every actor’s natural dancing ability is incredible. Even in the group moments, he allowed everyone to shine in their own way.
Song selection is another thing that keeps me coming back. Company XIV shows have this incredible ability of reinventing songs that are both throwbacks and mainstream hits. When Storm Marrero sings ‘You Should See Me in A Crown” by Billie Eilish, she makes the song her own. Her sultry and sensual voice brings a new life to the song, and sends chills throughout every audience member.
Lastly, the fashion in the show was breathtaking. The amount of detail that went into the costumes is definitely something to make a note about. And even as more and more clothes came off the level of style within the costumes were consistently good throughout. There was a ton of sparkle and when the lighting hit the clothes at the right time, it was breathtaking.
The show will now run through November 2 at the company’s gorgeous new home, Théâtre XIV (383 Troutman St. in Bushwick, Brooklyn), culminating with a final week of ‘Mad Masquerade’ Halloween performances.
