Displaying items by tag: The Hip Hop Nutcracker

The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns to Broadway In Chicago, playing at the CIBC Theatre from December 10 to December 15, 2024. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, October 9, for the modern twist of Tchaikovsky's 130-year-old ballet.  Ticket information can be found below. Kurtis Blow is host and MC of the family-friendly holiday mash-up and contemporary holiday dance spectacle that has performed more than 250 times in 70 cities. Joining Blow on stage is the powerhouse cast of a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist.

Individual tickets are available at BroadwayInChicago.com. Ticket prices range from $38.00 - $116.00, with a select number of premium seats available for all performances. Groups of 10+ can be purchased by calling (312) 977-1710 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Subscribers can add tickets to their package by logging onto their account. For more details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

"The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is directed, choreographed, and co-created by Jennifer Weber – an Emmy winner and two-time Tony and Olivier award-nominee who also choreographed the international hit musical, "& Juliet" currently playing on Broadway. Executive producing is three-time Tony winner and two-time Olivier award-winning producer Eva Price, whose productions have garnered six Olivier Awards, two GRAMMY Awards, two Emmy Awards, and 19 Tony Awards. The re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic story turns the beloved Nutcracker score on its head. Hip hop dance and Tchaikovsky's timeless music blend together for a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event that takes audiences on a journey celebrating love, community, and the magic of the holiday season.

"The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a magical journey where tradition meets innovation, offering families and friends a holiday experience like no other," says Blow, who paved the way for generations of hip hop artists and fans after scoring the first certified gold record rap song in 1980. Blow is also responsible for "Christmas Rappin," acclaimed for being the first rap holiday song. "This show is proof that the magic of the holidays can be found in the most unexpected places." Blow says the all-star cast, dynamic choreography, and stunning performances honor hip hop's rich history while celebrating a cherished holiday story.

Just like the original, 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 contemporary New York City.

Created in 2013 by Weber and writer Mike Fitelson, the production has evolved into a masterpiece due to the creators' never-ending commitment to enhancing the production, and dancers who continue to raise the bar each year.

For tour dates and more information about where to purchase tickets to "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," visit www.hiphopnutcracker.com. For the latest news and updates follow "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" on Facebook and Instagram; #HipHopNutcracker.

About Jennifer Weber (Director/Choreographer)

Jennifer Weber is the choreographer of the international hit musical, & Juliet currently playing on Broadway and in Germany as well as touring across the US and UK. The show previously played Australia, Singapore and London's West End. She received both Olivier & Tony Nominations for Best Choreography for her work on & Juliet. Broadway/Off Broadway KPOP (Tony Nomination, Best Choreography), American Idiot (CTG/Deaf West), Teenage Dick (The Public), Cruel Intentions (LPR/US Tour). Upcoming projects include Take the Lead (Papermill Playhouse) and Kane and Able (The Orb, Tokyo). Film: Disney Zombies 2, While You Were Gone (Emmy Win, short form entertainment) TV: The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Tony Awards, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Good Morning America, America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing and Blue Peter; Commissions: Tulsa Ballet, LA Music Center, Baryshnikov Arts Center, NY City Center. Weber is the co-creator, director, and choreographer of The Hip Hop Nutcracker, featuring rap legend Kurtis Blow, touring annually across the U.S. and recorded for an Emmy winning PBS All Arts special. In 2022, she collaborated with Disney as Executive Producer / Choreographer on a film version of The Hip Hop Nutcracker for Disney+.

About Eva Price (Executive Producer)

EVA PRICE (Producer) is an NYCLU/ACLU honoree and a three-time Tony award-winning, and two-time Olivier award-winning producer. Her productions have garnered 6 Olivier Awards, 2 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, and 19 Tony Awards. Current: & Juliet (Broadway, National Tour); Titanique (Off-Broadway, International Companies) The Hip Hop Nutcracker (Touring Live Show, Disney +). Upcoming: Redwood (Broadway); Take the Lead (Paper Mill Playhouse). Selected credits: Redwood (La Jolla Playhouse), A Transparent Musical (Center Theatre Group); Mindplay (Arena Stage & Geffen Playhouse); Jagged Little Pill (2 Tony Awards); Oklahoma! (2 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, Best Musical Revival, National Tour, West End); Tina - The Tina Turner Musical; What the Constitution Means to Me; Angels in America (Tony-winning Broadway Revival starring Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield); Dear Evan Hansen (6 Tony Awards, 3 Olivier Awards); Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards) along with several solo shows and critically acclaimed concerts starring The Temptations & The Four Tops; Kathy Griffin; Lewis Black; Colin Quinn; and Hershey Felder.

About Mike Fitelson (Writer/Co-Creator)

Mike Fitelson is the CEO of the United Palace, the 94-year-old Wonder Theatre in Washington Heights, Manhattan's 4th largest theatre. In 2014 as the executive director of the nonprofit United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) he co-created "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" with Jennifer Weber, adapting the story and supplying the images for the scenery, and produced its premiere. Fitelson has worked to build the Northern Manhattan arts community for 22 years. He co-founded the annual arts festival, the Uptown Arts Stroll, in 2003; served in every capacity of the Manhattan Times, the bilingual community newspaper of Washington Heights and Inwood, from 2002-2011; and helped found the nonprofit Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance in 2006. 

About New Jersey Performing Arts Center/NJPAC (Producer)

NJPAC, located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States. It is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey — where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey's anchor cultural institution, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State's and the world's best artists, while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 11 million visitors (including more than two million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. www.njpac.org

About Maximum Entertainment Productions (MEP)

MEP (General Management) is a producing, developing, and management company founded by Avram Freedberg, Mary Beth Dale, and Eva Price; and is joined by Managing Director/General Manager Carl Flanigan. Select credits include Titanique, Redwood, Small Mouth Sounds; Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical; Verso; Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!; The Lion; The Hip Hop Nutcracker; and Colin Quinn: Long Story Short. www.maximumcompany.com

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

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As someone who has seen Tchaikovsky’s timeless holiday classic, The Nutcracker, performed many times over, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect last night at the Cadillac Palace’s presentation of The Hip Hop Nutcracker.

But after experiencing the grandeur and soaring beauty of Tchaikovsky’s magical musical tale of a young girl and her Nutcracker prince reimagined as a modern-day love story set in a gritty urban backdrop and performed by a very talented and athletic ensemble of hip hop dancers, I was completely sold.

Yes, there still is Maria-Clara and her Nutcracker prince, the Mouse King and his gang, and the mysterious Drosselmeyer cast as a magical toymaker, but under the skillful direction and choreography of Tony and Olivier Award-nominated Jennifer Weber, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is completely turned on its head – figuratively, and to be honest, literally.

Rather than the breathtaking leaps and twirls of ballet dancers, the audience was riveted by the gravity-defying breakdancing moves with performers springing from one-handed handstands to another and then spinning on their heads. The choreography was so cleverly intertwined with Tchaikovsky’s familiar orchestration that you could almost imagine that he actually intended his famous opus for hip hop.

The tone of the evening was set by special guest MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop’s founding fathers, with a brief homage to this genre’s 50^th anniversary. Along with DJ Boo, a New York-based performance DJ, Blow masterfully invited the audience to sing and dance along as he moved through a mix of hip hop classics through the years. The audience loved it.

In this retelling, Maria-Clara (Halima Dodo) is upset by her parents’ constant bickering during the annual uptown holiday street party. Drosselmeyer (Tumelo “Melo” Khupe) appears, bringing magical toys to the party and introducing Maria-Clara to a street vendor (Anthony “Omen” Cabrera) selling roasted nuts, appropriately called the Nutcracker. The party breaks up, and while Maria-Clara is on her way home, she runs into the menacing Mouse Crew. Aided by a pair of magical red sneakers hanging on a lamp pole, the Nutcracker springs to her defense and the two enjoy winter’s first snowfall.

Drosselmeyer returns to magically take Maria-Clara and her Nutcracker back in time to the Land of Sweets nightclub, where the couple witness the New Year’s Eve revelers showing off the dance styles of that time. It’s then that Maria-Clara realizes that she is witnessing the night when her parents first met and fell in love. She is overcome by their love, and when they return to present day, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker – with a bit more magic – help her parents reconcile.

The story is brought to life not only through the performers’ incredible hip hop dancing and choreography, but also by their amazing acting ability. Through their gestures and facial expressions, the ensemble brought the audience along into the story.

For me, one of the evening’s highlights was the powerhouse violinist Marissa Licata, who introduces the familiar opening strains of The Nutcracker and then appears strategically throughout the performance to move the musical narrative forward. A star soloist, she has appeared with the likes of Alicia Keys, Ben Harper, Jethro Tull, H.E.R., Ringo Starr, and Gloria Estefan, to name a few.

The set design was minimal, but skillfully done with a huge video cast on the stage’s backdrop. We’re taken right into the street scene, walk into Drosselmeyer’s toy store, and then cast back into time appropriately via a time-traveling subway, all through the magic of video. At first, the scenes and costuming are all cast in shades of black and white with only Drosselmeyer’s magical touch in red. But when we go back in time, the past comes to life in a spray of colors.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker is only at the Cadillac Palace for a limited engagement through Dec. 17, but tickets are still available. For families and children of all ages, this is a wonderful introduction to The Nutcracker, and even for those well acquainted with this holiday tradition, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is an imaginative and exuberant retelling of this classic worth seeing.

As MC Blow told the audience, “I’m sure Mr. Tchaikovsky would enjoy this performance.” I quite agree.