New York Theatre Ballet's Keith Michael staging cuts The Nutcracker to a single hour and resets it in the Art Nouveau world of 1907, with captivating mice, dancing imps and Tchaikovsky's score intact. It is built for ages three and up, so there is no wriggling through a two-and-a-half hour epic with a four-year-old. If your family's Nutcracker plan usually dies on price or run time, this fixes both.
What to expect
A full company production on the Colden Auditorium stage, staged in 1907 Art Nouveau design and running about an hour straight through. The familiar score, party scene, mouse battle and snow are all there, compressed and pitched at young children, with plenty of comic business from the mice and imps.
Good to know
- Take the 7 to Flushing–Main Street, then the Q17, Q25, Q34 or Q65 bus to the Queens College campus.
- There is campus parking, which is the simpler option if you are coming from eastern Queens or Long Island.
- Colden Auditorium is a large room, so seats away from the front still read well for a dance piece.
- Ticket fees are reduced if you order in person or by phone instead of online.
- The one-hour run time makes it workable for preschoolers and for a school-night outing.
- Arrive early — campus wayfinding to the auditorium takes a few minutes on foot.
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Common questions
How long is the performance?
About one hour, performed straight through without an interval, which is roughly half the length of a traditional full-evening Nutcracker.
What age is it aimed at?
The company recommends it for ages three and up, and the staging leans on visual comedy from the mice and imps to hold young attention.
Can I get there by subway?
Not directly. Take the 7 to Flushing–Main Street and connect to a Q17, Q25, Q34 or Q65 bus, which drops you near the Queens College campus.
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