A holiday mash-up for the entire family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, a contemporary work set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, embarks on an international tour on the strength of its sold-out performances of the world premiere at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) in New York City.
The tour comes to Richmond on Sunday, Dec. 30 at Altria Theater. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 10 and can be purchased at the Altria Theater box office, by phone at (800) 514-3849 and online at etix.com.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, artistic director of the all-female hip-hop crew Decadancetheatre in Brooklyn. It is adapted to today’s New York byMike Fitelson, executive director of UPCA – the work’s original producer – and includes hip-hop interludes remixed and reimagined by DJ Boo and an on-stage electric violinist.
For its stop at Altria Theater in Richmond on Dec. 30, The Hip Hop Nutcracker features special guest MC Kurtis Blow, one of the founders and creators of recorded rap music.
“Last year, the world premiere of Jennifer Weber and Mike Fitelson’s The Hip-Hop Nutcracker was a unique holiday event that attracted hip-hop fans, families, and classical music and dance audiences – so many different people in our community – under one roof. This Nutcracker’s dance crew, along with rap legend Kurtis Blow, simply electrified our building,” said David Rodriguez, NJPAC’s Executive Vice President and Executive Producer. “We can’t wait to bring this new classic to audiences across the country and wrap up the tour in Tchaikovsky’s homeland.”
The Hip Hop Nutcracker is an evening-length production performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, DJ and violinist. Through the spells cast by the mysterious Drosselmeyer, Maria-Clara and her prince, Myron, travel back in time to the moment when her parents first meet in a nightclub. Digital scenery transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story of a palace of sugarplums into a romance set in 1980s Brooklyn. The dance work celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year’s Eve.
Members of the creative team include Taeko Koji (Associate Director/Choreographer), Andrew Diaz (set), Whitney Anne Adams (costumes), Burke Wilmore (lighting) and Moe Shahrooz (video design).
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