This December, Savage Wonder Art Center teams with Exit12 Dance Company to blow the doors off holiday tradition with Die Nutcracker Harder, a wild, genre-melting mash-up of A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, and Die Hard — re-imagined as one gloriously chaotic holiday experience.

Conceived by writer Christopher Soucy and brought to life under the direction of Christopher Paul Meyer, Die Nutcracker Harder fuses A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, and Die Hard into a singular theatrical/dance holiday experience done in Savage Wonder’s style - a fully choreographed and blocked performance with no props, no costumes, script-in-hand, live sound foley effects, all done in a living-room-style performance space.

Three Christmas classics walk into a bar… and blow it up.

Cast highlights include:

Kevin Gilmartin (Marvell Repertory Theatre) as The Narrator
John Hartzell (Hit House Creative) as Husband / John McClane
Ana Anderson (Savage Wonder regular) as Wife / Holly
Dean Linnard (Berkeley Rep, Portland Stage, Playwrights Horizons) as Ghosts / Marley
Topher Kage (Savage Wonder)

Each performance will be surrounded by holiday spectacle: pre- and post-show events, seasonal drinks at The Grape Rebellion, pop-up gallery activations, and spontaneous festive ambiance — making every performance a full Savage Wonder holiday experience.

When & Where

Savage Wonder Art Center
139 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508
(Entrance via Savage Wonderground / 141 Main Street)

Performance Dates & Times

Saturday, December 6 – 4:30 PM
Sunday, December 7 – 3:30 PM
Sunday, December 14 – 3:30 PM & 8:30 PM
Saturday, December 20 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, December 21 – 3:30 PM

Tickets for Die Nutcracker Harder are available via SavageWonder.org and through Eventbrite.

Ticket prices range from approximately $25–$55 depending on date and availability.

ABOUT SAVAGE WONDER ART CENTER

Savage Wonder is a 12,000-square-foot arts venue located in Beacon, NY. Housed in a former bank, the center includes multiple performance spaces, a wine & dessert bar (The Grape Rebellion), pop-up gallery areas, and flexible spaces such as The Parlor and Savage Wonderground. Savage Wonder presents theater, music, visual art, and culinary programming created by veterans, first responders, and their immediate family members. Our work is intimate, surprising, whimsical, and absurd — built to challenge convention and expand what community arts can be. Visit https://savagewonder.org for more.

ABOUT EXIT12 DANCE COMPANY

Exit12 Dance Company is a New York–based contemporary dance nonprofit, founded by a U.S. Marine Iraq War veteran, dedicated to exploring the impact of war, service, and homecoming through movement, storytelling, and dance. Through performances, workshops, and community engagement, Exit12 works to heal veteran and military-connected individuals, educate the public about the human cost of conflict, and advance empathy, understanding, and transformation. Their work spans immersive dance performances, movement workshops for veterans and civilians, and narrative-driven choreography rooted in lived experience. Learn more at https://exit12danceco.org.