IT WILL HAVE YOU HIPHOPPING IN THE AISLES
Everything old is new again. Tchaikovsky’s 129-year-old ballet is reimagined as a holiday dance spectacle in The Hip Hop Nutcracker. It is one of the most original takes on this oft-produced dance piece. Tchaikovsky and hip-hop turn out to be great partners.
The 34-city tour kicks off in San Diego on November 6, 2021, before zig-zagging around the country to Oakland, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York City, Boston and more. The production — now in its triumphant return for a seventh season — features hip hop pioneer Kurtis “The Breaks” Blow, the first rapper to be signed by a major label in 1979; hip hop’s founding father performs as MC of The Hip Hop Nutcracker.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker picked up another accolade recently with a New York Emmy Award. Ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov said, “Athleticism is one thing and artistry is another, but Jennifer Weber’s Hip Hop Nutcracker puts the two together like I’ve never seen. It’s deeply moving, ingeniously modern and pure magic.” The powerhouse cast of one dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist turn the beloved Tchaikovsky score on its head, while celebrating hip hop dance culture, love, and community.
In this version, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker prince go on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visiting the land of sweets, and learning the lessons of the holiday season. Innovative digital graffiti and visuals transform the landscape of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story from traditional 19th Century Germany to the vibrant, diverse sights and sounds of a colorful and contemporary New York City. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is an authentic expression of hip-hop dance and culture that celebrates the magic of the entire holiday season on the most inclusive holiday of them all – New Year’s Eve, a time for new beginnings.
Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, The Hip Hop Nutcracker features an exciting group of performers who bring her imaginatively modern show to life. The cast includes Ann-Sylvia Clark as Maria-Clara; Gabriel Emphasis as The Nutcracker; Liliana “Lily” Frias as Mom; Bryan Longchamp as Dad; Lisa “Lboogie” Bauford as Drosselmeyer; Randi Freitas as Mouse King, Ensemble; Anthony “Omen” Cabrera as Toy, Ensemble; Jackie “JK-47” Agudo as Tea, Ensemble; Zuce Morales asToy/Ensemble; Seth “Reaktion” Hillard as Russian, Ensemble; Jon “Gifted” Jimenez as Chocolate/Ensemble; Dustin “D-Payne” Payne as Flute, Ensemble; Ethan Evaro as Swing/Understudy; Jarvis L. Benson as Violinist (thru 12/19); Claudius as Violinist (from 12/20); Teofilo V. Recitas II “DJ Boo” as Performance DJ; and of course Kurtis Blow as MC.
photos by Timothy Norris
for tickets, visit The Hip Hop Nutcracker
Facebook, Instagram (@hiphopnutcracker), and YouTube; #HipHopNutcracker.
2021 Tour Dates
November 6 San Diego, CA Civic Theatre
November 7 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Arts
November 10 Oakland, CA Paramount Theatre
November 12 Eugene, OR Hult Center for the Performing Arts
November 13-14 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
November 15 Olympia, WA Washington Center for the Performing Arts
November 16 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium
November 19-20 Denver, CO Buell Theatre
November 23 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall
November 24 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center Music Hall
November 26 St. Louis, MO Stifel Theatre
November 28 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theatre
November 30 Lawrence, KS Lied Center
December 3 Dayton, OH Victoria Theatre
December 4 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre
December 5 Detroit, MI Fisher Theatre
December 7 Charleston, SC Gaillard Center
December 8 Richmond, VA Altria Theater
December 10 W. Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center
December 11 Miami, FL Knight Concert Hall
December 12 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre
December 14 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
December 15 Roanoke, VA Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
December 17 Hartford, CT The Bushnell
December 18 Newark, NJ NJPAC
December 19 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre
December 20-22 North Bethesda, MD Strathmore
December 23 New Haven, CT Shubert Theatre
December 26 Durham, NC DPAC
December 27-28 Charlotte, NC Blumenthal Performing Arts
December 29 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall
December 30 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center
January 1 Boston, MA Emerson Colonial Theatre
January 2 New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre New Jersey
