On a rain-slicked Friday night in Bushwick, velvet curtains part to reveal a world where Baroque opulence meets Brooklyn grit. Company XIV, the genre-defying theater troupe helmed by director-choreographer Austin McCormick, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this fall—two decades of pushing the boundaries of burlesque in New York City.

What began as a risky experiment by a Juilliard-trained visionary is now a mainstay of the city’s nightlife. Company XIV’s home on Troutman Street has become a portal for audiences hungry for more than just spectacle. Each performance is a cocktail of classical ballet, circus arts, and unapologetic sensuality—recent shows have included a champagne-soaked retelling of “Cinderella” and a smoky, jazz-infused “Nutcracker.”

Backstage before curtain, dancers slip into rhinestone corsets and powdered wigs, swapping nervous energy for the confidence that comes with trust in McCormick’s direction. “We’re telling stories with our bodies, but also with every element—lighting, music, even the cocktails,” says principal performer Marcy Richardson. She nods toward the house, where a sold-out crowd sips absinthe in anticipation.

This anniversary season, Company XIV is offering limited-edition performances that nod to their earliest days—revisiting themes of transformation and desire, but with a distinctly 2026 edge. The company’s longevity speaks to a city that craves reinvention, especially now as Bushwick’s creative scene rides a new wave of energy this autumn.

Tickets for Company XIV’s 20th anniversary run are nearly gone, but the afterglow of its influence lingers far beyond the theater’s gilded doors. In a city constantly rewriting its own rules, Company XIV remains a testament to the power of spectacle, intimacy, and risk.

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