City Ballet of Boston is scheduled to present Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre from Dec. 12 through Dec. 20, according to the Boch Center. The production sets Tchaikovsky’s familiar score alongside music by Duke Ellington and dance styles including Bollywood and flamenco, The Boston Globe reports.
The Boston-set production has continued for more than 25 years, with annual changes and local references that include Fenway Park and the Citgo sign, according to the Globe. This season, Boston drag artist Patty Bourrée is scheduled to appear as part of an LGBTQ+-inclusive performance.
One ballet, many distinct productions
The Boston run belongs to a tradition with a much longer history.
Boston has another distinct staging: Boston Ballet says its production had its world premiere at the Boston Opera House in 2012, according to the company’s history. Elsewhere, choreographer Donald Byrd’s separate The Harlem Nutcracker premiered in New York in 1996 and was financially doomed by 2001, The Seattle Times reported. That account is a precedent for a different production’s history; it does not indicate anything about City Ballet of Boston’s finances.
Accessibility in the local performance calendar
The Globe reports that Urban Nutcracker began offering a sensory-friendly performance in 2016. Other Boston-area listings provide separate examples of accessibility programming: Boston Ballet lists a sensory-friendly Nutcracker for Dec. 4, 2026, and says quiet spaces will be available in the VIP lounge at the Citizens Opera House, according to its performance information. These are examples, not evidence of a broader increase, and the details of one organization’s program should not be assumed to apply to another.
A long-running venue
For the current performances, Urban Nutcracker’s ticket information lists the Shubert at 265 Tremont Street; the company’s FAQ gives the show’s approximate running time as two hours, including a 20-minute intermission.
