'Hip Hop Nutcracker' may take place in contemporary NYC but follows original storyline

Cheryl Morey, South Bend Tribune
·1 min read
The company of "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," featuring Gabriel Emphasis and Ann-Sylvia Clark, performs in the touring holiday show, which will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
The company of "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," featuring Gabriel Emphasis and Ann-Sylvia Clark, performs in the touring holiday show, which will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND — “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” makes a tour stop at 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N. Michigan St.

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, who created the show in 2013 with writer Mike Fitelson, this contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and the timeless music of Tchaikovsky together into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event.

MC Kurtis Blow opens "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" with a short set. The touring holiday show will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
MC Kurtis Blow opens "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" with a short set. The touring holiday show will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

“The Hip Hop Nutcracker” features a cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist and MC Kurtis Blow, one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, who opens the show with a short set.

Just like the original, 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 contemporary New York City.

Jackie “JK-47” Agudo, Randi “Rascal” Freitas, Seth “REAKTION” Hilliard and Anthony “OMEN” Cabrera perform in "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," which will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.
Jackie “JK-47” Agudo, Randi “Rascal” Freitas, Seth “REAKTION” Hilliard and Anthony “OMEN” Cabrera perform in "The Hip Hop Nutcracker," which will be presented Nov. 27, 2023, at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend.

Tickets are $65-$38.

For more information, call 574-235-9190 or visit morriscenter.org

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: 'Hip Hop Nutcracker' features MC Kurtis Blow at the Morris