“Il etait une fois…”, or, shall we say, “Once upon a time…”

Company XIV’s deliciously decadent new production, now enjoying its World Premiere at its home Théâtre XIV, is named Petit Rouge. It is written, directed, and choreographed by Austin McCormick. Like previous Company XIV creations, this show is a high-end cocktail of song, spectacle, movement, burlesque, acrobatics, aerial dance, magic tricks, and some acts that defy easy definition (I’m looking at YOU, Syrena!).  Like the previous shows,  Petit Rouge is one eye-popping segment after another. The show is inspired by the eternal French children’s story/cautionary tale of Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault.  For those whose parents didn’t love them enough were too busy to to read them fairy tales: Red Riding Hood was the little girl who encountered a big, bad wolf when she innocently tried to bring a basket of food to her grandma.  In French, the story of Red (Ms. Riding Hood if you’re nasty, I guess…) is named “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge”, hence the show’s name.  Our fairy tale “fille” was first introduced in the Company XIV-verse back in 2010 in Le Cirque Feerique.  That show featured three chanteuses singing Lady Gaga’s 2009 hit Monster while Red and the Wolf squared off.  The creators of Petit Rouge ostensibly felt that Ms. Red Riding Hood needed an entire showcase of her own.  And, after seeing Company XIV’s new extravaganza, I can indisputably say that their instincts were 100% right.  Red/Petit Rouge (played by Cara Seymour) gets the celebrity treatment in this Baroque fantasy.  The titular character in THIS show is not just a damsel in distress waiting to get rescued by a woodsman.  She can more than hold her own against the horny canid (Shawn Lesniak)– or canids, because sometimes there’s more than one wolf on the stage competing for Red’s attention. One number, a “dance of the three wolves” of sorts (The wolves are Lesniak, Colin Heininger, and Tomislav Nevistia.), is absolutely hypnotic.  After all, wolves do travel in packs. THIS Little Red Riding Hood story is playful, funny, and sexy AF.  In case you haven’t guessed by now, it’s also patently made for grownups. True to its Gallic origins, the show also has a very distinct French flavor.  Without jumping ahead too much, let’s just say that you haven’t lived until you’ve heard Brittany Spears’ Toxic in French.

But even before the audience is treated to the first musical note or dance move, they are treated to the lush atmosphere of Théâtre XI.  All I can say is “Ooh la la!”.  The venue is opulently and ornately over-the-top.  It’s a delicious flashback to a more glamorous era.  Vintage chandeliers hang from the ceiling, as well as lamps with some tantalizingly tartly colored bulbs: Never say  “pink” or “orange”.  These colors are “French rose” and “tangerine“, bébé!   The air is thick with incense.  Best of all, this exclusive performance space is populated by sexy people of all genders: the hard-working cast of the show.  As they welcome the attendees, the audience gets a sneak preview of the costumes.  There are a lot of sequins, rhinestones, V-E-R-Y high heels, esoteric makeup, fur coats (fake fur, of course; The denizens of this magic kingdom would NEVER wear the “fourrure” of an endangered species!), corsets, headdresses, and… SKIN!    Here’s a prime example of the production’s elegant costume and scenic design by Zane Pihlström: The show’s “Entr’acte” features the novelty song Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf with a trio of very sexy “piggies”.  Even when the three performers are wearing only G-strings, garters, hose, collars, and pig noses, they look like a million bucks francs.  Put another way: Even when the cast is wearing the skimpiest of outfits, every bauble, bangle, and bead seems meticulously planned.  The meticulous attention to detail also extends to the show’s sets:  At one point, it even SNOWS on stage! 

The show opened with the phenomenal Lindsay Rose singing a hard-hitting version of Billie Eilish’s bad guy. What a way to kick off!  She packs a helluva range into just one song– especially with one particularly gravity-defying, climactic note.  It was an audience pleaser for sure. It was then on to the show’s first spectacle: Petit Rouge’s birthday.   Despite her mother’s warning, Red decided to take a trip to through the scary forest to visit her “Grand-mère”… but not before the audience is treated to a frenetic solo dance by Mother (Duana Taste) and more exquisite singing by Lindsay Rose.  It was another audience pleaser: The attendees were clapping to the pulse-pounding rhythm.  As mesmerizing as the dance was, I still couldn’t help but wonder how many sequins fell off during that number.  As mentioned before, the show also featured Company XIV’s famous aerial arts (performed by Alexandre Barranco, Nicholas Katen, and PhillVonAwesome).  If there was a moment to best capture the look of awe on the faces of the audience, this was the moment.  Their aerial performances were adorned with the supremely impressive vocal talents of Pepper Molana. (Later on in the show, Molana donned a pink wig and gave a bawdy, take-no-prisoners take on The Lady in Red— which, dare I say, is better than the original.  She can BELT!) The two chanteuses– Molana and Rose– joined forces on vocals for a nod to the 2010 Company XIV production which I mentioned earlier: They gave us a mashup of Lady Gaga’s Monster and The Beast, while our Red had the dangerously decadent pleasure of grappling with not one but FIVE hot and hirsute wolves! (Barranco, Heininger, Lesniak, PhillVonAwesome, and Nevistic). What will happen to our red-hooded heroine?

As in previous productions, the creators of Petit Rouge have a passion for unearthing some campy musical gems for a new generation to appreciate.  Hence, A Strawberry Moon (In a Blueberry Sky) became a truly juicy ballet of colorful kitsch. Many other vintage pop culture musical oddities were incorporated into the soundtrack as well.  

By now you may be wondering about another character from the famous fairy tale: Red’s grandmother.   Fear not!  Grandma (PhillVonAwesome) got her very own number– appropriately enough, set to the tune of the famous French classic Grand-mère.  The gentleman sitting next to me actually DID speak French, and was laughing at the lyrics.  But whether or not you can say a single word in Française, you’ll be laughing at the manic humor.  This segment, with expertly comedic choreography, was absolutely hilarious– or, shall we say, “hilariante”!

When first told in 1697, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge was meant as a cautionary tale about the dangers of talking to strangers.  But Rick Springfield’s advice from 1982 be damned: I try to talk to at least six strangers a day.  As our titular heroine proves in Company XIV’s new show, it’s just more exciting that way! Petit Rouge is more original, more sexy, and more fun than anything you’ll see on Broadway as we venture further into 2026. This is entirely due to the show’s script, its smooth direction, and the superlative talent of the performers. Without giving the conclusion away, I’ll just say that in the end, our “Petit Rouge” emerges triumphant.  So will anyone who sees this stunning show.  

Company XIV’s Petit Rouge continues through May 24, 2026 at Théâtre XIV,383 Troutman Street, Brooklyn, New York.  For tickets and more information, visit: Company XIV, NYC’s Most Spectacular Burlesque Shows

The cast of Petit Rouge includes Alexandre Barranco, Cara Seymour, Colin Heininger, Duana Taste, Gereve, Halle Moné, Irenie Melin-Gompper, Lindsay Rose, Nicholas Katen, Pepper Solana, PhillVonAwesome, Rosebud, Shawn Lesniak, Syrena, and Tomislav Nevistic.  The creative team consists of creator, director, and choreographer Austin McCormick, costume and scenic designer Zane Pihlström, makeup designer Sarah Cimino, lighting designer Devin Cameron, and sound designer Julian Evans.

(Photos by Deneka Peniston and Luis Suarez.)