The Hip Hop Nutcracker to Feature Hip Hop Pioneer Kurtis Blow at the Palace December 5
Posted: November 6, 2017
Presented by CAPA, the Lincoln Theatre Association, and the King Arts Complex, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a contemporary re-imagining of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist. Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop’s founding fathers, will kick off the show with a short set and then rap the introduction.
CAPA presents The Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.) on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $22-$52 at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.
Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a full-length production featuring a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist. The traditional classic Tchaikovsky score beautifully complements the power moves of these 12 dancers, with transitional and incidental music re-mixed and re-imagined, helping to bring a beautifully surprising contemporary vibe to the production.
“We’ve got some of the best dancers in the world performing in a show that is being reimagined in a truly spectacular way,” says Blow. “The creative team has turned this old classic into a new classic, and audiences love this new adaptation everywhere we go.”
Just like the classic Nutcracker story, in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, 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. Through the modern, self-expressive gaze of hip hop culture, the dynamic performers of The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrate the magic of the entire holiday season on the most inclusive holiday of them all - New Year’s Eve, a time for new beginnings.
About Kurtis Blow
A hip hop legend, Kurtis Blow was 20 in 1979, when he became the first rapper to be signed by a major label. Mercury released Christmas Rappin’, and it sold more than 400,000 copies, becoming an annual classic. Its Gold follow-up, The Breaks, helped ignite an international “rap attack.” He released 10 albums in just over 11 years. His full-length debut, Kurtis Blow; his second, Deuce, a Top 50 pop album and a hit across Europe; Party Time featuring a pioneering fusion of rap and gogo; and Ego Trip that including the hits “8 Million Stories,” “AJ,” and “Basketball.” In 1985, he released America, featuring “If I Ruled the World,” a Top 5 hit on Billboard’s R&B chart; Columbia/Sony recording artist Nas debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Album chart with a cover of the song in 1997. www.KurtisBlow.com