The Hip Hop Nutcracker comes to Detroit December 5, 2021 {11.10.2021}

THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER DANCES INTO
THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Hip Hop Legend and Music Pioneer Kurtis Blow’s First National Tour Since His Heart Transplant

Everything old is new again. Tchaikovsky’s 129-year-old ballet is reimagined as a holiday dance spectacle in The Hip Hop Nutcracker (www.hiphopnutcracker.com), plays the Detroit Opera House for one performance only on Sunday, December 5, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. 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. Forty-two years and a heart transplant later, hip hop’s founding father is still performing as MC of The Hip Hop Nutcracker.

Tickets start at $29 and go on sale Friday, October 15 online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.

Upon seeing The Hip Hop Nutcracker, 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."

Weber is the Olivier and Emmy Award-nominated choreographer for the powerhouse cast of one dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ, and an electric violinist who turn the beloved Tchaikovsky score on its head, while celebrating hip hop dance culture, love, and community.

Blow has paved the way for generations of hip-hop artists after scoring the first certified gold record rap song in 1980, “The Breaks.” Blow is also responsible for “Christmas Rappin’, the perennial first rap holiday song. His recent heart transplant has given him new perspective on life, his fans and touring.

“It’s incredible for me to meet fans, and their kids, and their kids’ kids who love hip hop music,” says Blow. “It reminds me of how The Nutcracker brings people of all ages together too. I hope everyone makes holiday memories for a lifetime when they come to our show.”

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. 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.

For 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, Instagram (@hiphopnutcracker), and YouTube; #HipHopNutcracker.


JENNIFER WEBER (Director/Choreographer)

Jennifer Weber is an Olivier and Emmy Award nominated choreographer based in New York City and Los Angeles. She made her West End debut with & Juliet (Olivier Award Nominee, Whats on stage Award Nominee), a new musical featuring the songs of pop songwriter, Max Martin currently playing at the Shaftesbury Theater in London. Weber made her film debut as the choreographer for the Disney Channel Original Movie, Zombies 2 which was released in Feb, 2020. Her choreography for the music videos from that film have been viewed over 500 million times. She recently choreographed Petrushka Reimagined for the virtual series, A New Stage, presented by CLI Studios and starring NYC Ballet principal dancer, Tiler Peck, international ballet star, Brooklyn Mack and hip hop icon, Lil Buck. Weber is the co-creator, director, and choreographer of The Hip Hop Nutcracker(Emmy Nomination for PBS Special), featuring rap legend Kurtis Blow, touring annually across the U.S. Off-Broadway choreography credits include KPOP (Upcoming Broadway Transfer/Lortel Nomination), Teenage Dick (The Public/Ma-Yi Theater Company) Cruel Intentions (LPR/US National Tour), Stockholm (U.S. premiere). Her concert dance work has been performed at Jacob’s Pillow, New York City Center, The Apollo, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Southbank Center, and The Stanislavsky Music Theatre, Moscow. Commercial direction/choreography: Marc Jacobs, CK2, American Express, Uber, Ulta, L’Oreal, Reebok, Philosophy and three seasons of Lifetime’s Bring It Live! Tour.

www.jenniferwebernyc.com


EVA PRICE (Executive Producer)

Eva Price is an ACLU honoree for her commitment to works spearheaded by female creatives and people of color, and a Crain’s 2020 Notable LGBTQ Leader and Executive. She is a three-time Tony Award-winning producer of over18 Broadway plays, musicals, and concerts, a member of The Broadway League’s Executive Committee, and on the producing team of Level Forward-a new studio venture founded by Abigail Disney and Killer Content. Current and notable production include: Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill (15 Tony Award nominations); Oklahoma! (2 Tony Awards, Best Musical Revival);What the Constitution Means to Me (2 Tony Noms., National Tour 2020);Angels in America(Tony-winning Broadway Revival starring Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield); Dear Evan Hansen (6TonyAwards); On Your Feet!(The Story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan); Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!; Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards); Colin Quinn Long Story Short (directed by Jerry Seinfeld); Annie(Tony-Nominated Musical Revival); The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino (Tony-Nominated Play Revival); Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking; The Addams Family (starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth); as well as several solo shows and critically acclaimed concerts starring The Temptations & The Four Tops; Kathy Griffin; Lewis Black; and Hershey Felder. Recent off-Broadway projects include Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical(le Poisson Rouge, National Tour); the Drama Desk-nominated Found (Atlantic Theater Company & Philadelphia Theatre Company);Benjamin Scheuer’s award-winning The Lion(Drama Desk winner, Off-West End winner for Best Musical);and Bess Wohl’s critically acclaimed Small Mouth Sounds. International and Touring Credits include: The Hip Hop Nutcracker (NY Emmy-Nominated for PBS Special Live Capture),featuring Rap Icon Kurtis Blow; The Magic School Bus, Live!:The Climate Challenge; and Ella, a bio musical about the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald. Eva is the host and creator of the new podcast My First Show. For five years Eva worked as an assignment editor and coordinating producer for special projects at ABC News, spending her last year producing and reporting on stories relating to Broadway for ABCNEWS.COM.


MIKE FITELSON (Writer/Co-Creator)

Mike Fitelson is the executive producer at the United Palace, the 91-year-old Wonder Theatre in Washington Heights, Manhattan’s 4thlargest 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 18 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. He is thrilled the show is returning to the Paramount Theatre in his hometown of Oakland, CA, where he watched his first "Nutcracker" in the early 1980s.


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 over 11 years: his full-length debut, Kurtis Blow; his second, Deuce, a Top 50 Pop album and a big hit across Europe; Party Time featuring a pioneering fusion of rap and gogo; and Ego Trip, 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. For more information, visit KurtisBlow.com.



About NJPAC (Producers)

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

NJPAC (Producers) New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey–where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. 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 10 million visitors, and served almost 1.9 million children and families, since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

Follow NJPAC Online:
Website: njpac.org
Twitter: @NJPAC
Instagram: @NJPAC
Hashtag: #NJPAC
Facebook: facebook.com/NJPAC
YouTube: NJPACtv

DETROIT Engagement Ticket Info

The Hip Hop Nutcracker will appear Sunday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Detroit Opera House located at 1526 Broadway, in Detroit. Tickets start at $29 (includes facility fee) and go on sale Friday, October 15. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. A limited number of premium seats will be available through Ticketmaster and at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.

For group sales (10 or more) please email broadwayindetroitgroups@theambassadors.com or call 313-871-1132.

This will be an Open Captioned performance. Tickets for this special seating may be purchased in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office or by phone at 313-872-1000, ext. 0.

Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice.

Broadway In Detroit uses Ticketmaster as its sole, authorized ticketing agent. Individual tickets purchased from a ticket broker or “third party” ticket reseller involves risk and may not be authentic, sold at box office prices, or with correct performance and venue information. Broadway In Detroit box offices cannot verify tickets sold through a third party or ticket reseller. Broadway In Detroit is also unable to contact third party purchasers with pertinent updates or changes regarding performances.

Following the lead of Broadway and concert venues across the country, Broadway In Detroit theatre patrons will be required to show proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the performance date or proof of full Covid-19 vaccination before they will be admitted into the venue. Additionally, all patrons will be required to wear a mask while inside the theatre regardless of one’s vaccination status. For this performance, children under 12 will not be required to show proof of negative Covid test or vaccination but will be required to wear a mask.

All ticket purchasers will receive a Broadway In Detroit Health & Safety Guide via email in the weeks prior to their performance. This guide will also be posted on the company’s website (BroadwayInDetroit.com) and available at the Fisher Theatre box office. It will have the latest information on the company’s health and safety protocols as well as information on what to expect when you arrive at the theatre.

For more information on Broadway In Detroit, subscriptions, group sales and more, please visit www.BroadwayInDetroit.com

Follow Broadway In Detroit on Facebook, as well as on Instagram and Twitter @BroadwayDetroit.

Broadway In Detroit is a part of the Ambassador Theatre Group.

www.broadwayindetroit.com | www.atg.co.uk

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