Merith Michaels: The Nutcracker
Saturday, December 5, 2026
7:00 PM
Kupferberg Center for the Arts
65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Queens, NY 11367
Scheduled
About This Event
Merith Michaels: The Nutcracker at Kupferberg Center for the Arts features New York City–based performer Keith Michael. His work has appeared at the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center and he has shared bills with the Queens College Choral Society, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the Queens Symphony Orchestra and Cirque Kalabanté; his recent program, American Hasidut: A Conversation with Nivi Jun Lee, places performance in dialogue with cultural history and emphasizes clear delivery and ensemble-minded phrasing.
About The Nutcracker(ballet)
anonymous Russian 19th century photographer
Tchaikovsky’s 1892 *The Nutcracker* unfolds on Christmas Eve, where a child’s holiday scene slips into a dream world of toy battles and divertissements. In New York City, George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet staging, first presented in 1954, helped turn the work into a durable local ritual and a pillar of American ballet seasons. The story traces its literary roots from Hoffmann through Dumas, filtered into dance by Petipa and Ivanov. Its structure can feel episodic, but that collage is part of its modern cultural function.
About the Artist
Keith Michael
Keith Michael is a New York City–based performer whose work has appeared at the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center. He has shared bills and ensembles with artists and groups including Miguel Anggelo, the Queens College Choral Society, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the Queens Symphony Orchestra, Santiago Cruz, Cirque Kalabanté, and Adyjo.