You may think blending the exquisite classical beauty of the Nutcracker ballet with the gritty urban energy of hip hop would be like oil and water.
Yet The Hip Hop Nutcracker – making its Quad Cities debut at Davenport’s Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street) on November 27 – has entertained audiences nationwide since 2013. The beloved holiday story and enchanting music, paired with staggeringly limber breakdancers, will be performed as part of a tour to more than 25 U.S. cities.
Hip hop pioneer 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 and brings a modern twist to Tchaikovsky’s 1892 ballet. Joining Blow on stage is the powerhouse cast of a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist.
“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 gold-certified rap song in 1980. Blow is also responsible for “Christmas Rappin,” acclaimed for being the first holiday rap song. “This show is proof that the magic of the holidays can be found in the most unexpected places.”
Blow says the accomplished cast, dynamic choreography, and stunning performances honor hip hop’s rich history while celebrating a cherished holiday tale.
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-winning producer Eva Price, whose productions have garnered six Olivier Awards, two Grammys, two Emmys, and 19 Tonys.
In 2022, Weber collaborated with Disney as executive producer/choreographer on a film version of The Hip Hop Nutcracker for Disney+.
BuzzNews.net’s 2023 review of a Chicago production praised 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 … . 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.”
Just like the original Nutcracker, the new version has Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince going 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 newly complete artwork due to the creators’ never-ending commitment to enhancing the production, and dancers who continue to raise the bar each year.
Blow, who’s now 65, recently said that a friend came to a 2013 concert of his and told him about Hip Hop Nutcracker, and Blow subsequently attended rehearsals.
“I saw what the kids were doing,” Blow recalled. “They were break-dancing to classical music and that blew my mind. That was such a no-brainer, I said, ‘I have to be a part of this. I’m a big fan of the fusion of different genres of music and hip hop. That’s my forte.’
“To blend the beats of hip hop with other forms of music – like rock ‘n’ roll and country-Western – and to hear classical music and hip hop beats together was amazing to me,” he said, noting he’s been touring with The Hip Hop Nutcracker every year since his introduction to the ballet.
The show won a regional Emmy Award in 2021 for Entertainment – Long Form Content. It was also presented by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the PBS capture of the show’s tour.
“We have this amazing cast – I call them the hip hop B-boy and B-girl dream team,” Blow said. “They give 100 percent every night, representing all styles of hip hop dance – from foot work to power moves to bopping and rocking. It’s really choreographed really well.”
He called Weber a “powerhouse in the choreography field” and promised an “amazing time the audience will have when they come out. It’s fun, and the pageant and the spirit and energy is all there.”
Blowing Beyond Hip Hop
Blow conceived of combining hip hop with other styles when he was at City College of New York, where he majored in communications and speech broadcasting.
Rap is a form of speech, he noted, saying, “That became the basis of my first five albums.” His theory is that hip hop and rap are malleable and can be shaped into any form of music, such as a merger between country and rap.
Blow’s version of Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Takin’ Care of Business” in 1980 was one of the first hip hop and rock ’n’ roll crossover attempts.
It became a mission of his to tour around the world and collaborate with some of his heroes, among them James Brown and Aretha Franklin. He recorded with Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Kool & the Gang, and George Clinton, among others. Fellow rap legend Nas debuted at number one on the Billboard charts with a cover of Blow’s “If I Ruled the World” in 1997.
Beyond his own hits, Blow contributed to the success of The Fat Boys and Run-D.M.C. (Run began his career billed as “The Son of Kurtis Blow.”) Blow also was an associate producer on the Netflix series The Get Down.
Hip hop dance styles, Blow said, work with The Nutcracker because of the emotional pull of the classic music. “Music is so very, very powerful. What is the commonality of it all, is the rhythm section. The music influences you; it becomes part of your mental state. This is the power and the impact that all music has.”
Like any musical genres, hip hop and classical are linked in reflecting basic human feelings. “That’s how it was intended and how it was created in the beginning,” Blow said. “It was all about peace, unity, and love, and having safe fun. These are the messages and the spirit that we, as hip hoppers, believe, and this is our faith. This is why we love and cherish the elements of hip hop. It’s all about the love, and this is the theme of The Hip Hop Nutcracker.
“When we come to Davenport, we are bringing the love, an impactful presentation for the whole family to come together, to love each other, in the spirit of the holiday season,” he said. “That’s the spirit of hip hop we want to bring to the community. We need it now more than ever.”
The breakers share their passion and love on stage, Blow said, noting the story of The Nutcracker is all about love and magic. “That whole presentation of it and message via hip hop is a no-brainer, we think, and it works hand in hand.”
Moving from Christmas to New Year’s
Based on an 1816 E.T.A. Hoffmann short story, the traditional Nutcracker ballet is set on Christmas Eve in the 1820s. In the original story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll’s name, but in the ballet, our lead is typically named Clara.
In Hip Hop Nutcracker, the action takes place in New York City, on New Year’s Eve 1980. Blow gets audiences ready for what they’re about to see by first taking them back with a medley of old school hip hop songs. At the end of the intro, he sings a song titled “New Year’s Eve.”
The Hip Hop Nutcracker formally starts after Blow leads the audience in counting down to the new year, and he returns at the end, introducing all the dancers in a jubilant, party atmosphere.
“We leave them with that love,” Blow said. “This is the holiday season, so when you go home, spread the love in your community.”
For tour dates and more information, visit HipHopNutcracker.com, and follow The Hip Hop Nutcracker on Facebook and Instagram. For tickets to the Adler Theatre production on Wednesday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. (prices are $39-69), call (800)745-3000 and visit DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.
(And don’t worry: The Adler is also still hosting its spectacular holiday tradition, as Ballet Quad Cities will dance Tchaikovsky’s original The Nutcracker in three performances – at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 15.)
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