Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department alums and students are in the cast and creative team of The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque, running December 1 through 31 at the Greenhouse Theatre Center, located at 2257 N. Lincoln in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. This is the sixth edition of the popular alternative holiday show. Audiences are invited to follow Clara and her Buttcracker on a wild hallucinogenic trip from a boring holiday party to the Land of Sweets, where they battle rats, save the day, and learn that body and sex positivity are to be celebrated. A combination of fairy tale and exotic trip down the rabbit hole with the best of Chicago’s nightlife entertainment, The Buttcracker highlights the world of burlesque, boylesque, magic, sword balancing, circus, dance, and more. Student discounts are available. For tickets, click here.

The show’s cast includes Columbia College alum Elena Avila ‘22, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting, as Clara. Columbia College alums Sierra Buffum ’16, a graduate of the Theatre Department’s Acting BA Program, and Eilish Morse-O’Rourke ’22,  a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BFA Program in Musical Theatre Performance, are members of the ensemble.

Dylan Kerr, a student in the Columbia College Theatre Department’s Musical Theatre Program, is the show’s choreographer.

The Buttcracker: A Nutcracker Burlesque subverts the classic holiday ballet to promote diversity in body, gender expression, sexuality, and race. The show utilizes the platform of parody to encourage audiences to imagine a more inclusive world, redefining the art of the tease through an alternative take on burlesque. The two-hour experience begins with a cocktail hour which includes craft vendors from local artists (Thursday nights), special pre-show performances (Friday and Saturday nights), and brunch fare (Sunday matinees), followed by Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite in a saucy, adult retelling of the holiday classic featuring sword swallowing, belly dancing, classic burlesque, and more. A special New Year’s Eve closing night performance Saturday, December 31, includes a party following the show with cheese and charcuterie snacks, two drink tickets for after the show, a midnight “pole dancer booty drop” countdown with balloons and prizes, a DJ, and more.