The Hip Hop Nutcracker With MC Kurtis Blow Returns To DPAC

Durham, NC – Back by popular demand The Hip Hop Nutcracker returns to DPAC on Friday November 24, 2017 for two shows. A holiday mash-up for the entire family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker, a contemporary re-imagination of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, sets out on a third national tour following the success of two previous sold-out tours including the sold out show at DPAC in 2016.

Special guest MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop’s founding fathers, will open The Hip Hop Nutcracker in several cities including DPAC on Friday November 24. Kurtis will start with a short set before rapping the introduction to the show. A timeless artist and hip hop legend, he blazed the trail for early Hip-Hop artists, and continues to carry the torch for Hip-Hop music into new arenas. Don’t miss the opportunity to see him in this contemporary re-imagining of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music.

Tickets are on sale Friday July 21 at NOON:

• Online at com
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Ticket Center at DPAC: 680.2787, 123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC
• com / Ticketmaster Charge by phone at 800.745.3000

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 Nutcracker prince, 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 sugarplums into 1980s Brooklyn.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year’s Eve. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, artistic director of the Brooklyn based theatrical hip-hop dance company Decadancetheatre. It was adapted to contemporary New York City by Mike Fitelson, executive director of United Palace of Cultural Arts (UPCA) and includes hip-hop interludes remixed and reimagined by DJ Boo as well as an on-stage electric violinist.

About Jennifer Weber

“Outstanding Emerging Choreographer” New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) nominee, Jennifer Weber is the artistic director of the award-winning, theatrical hip-hop dance company, Decadancetheatre. Based in Brooklyn, NY, the company has toured across the US, UK, Russia and France, performing at venues including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Apollo Theater, The Kennedy Center, London’s Southbank Center, The Everyman in Liverpool, New York City Center, Bumbershoot in Seattle and The Stanislavsky Music Theatre in Moscow.

She has also choreographed for American Express, Uber, Ulta, L’Oreal Matrix, Reebok, Philosophy, Marc Jacobs, CK2 and UK TV show, Blue Peter. Recently she choreographed the US premiere of Bryony Lavery’s Stockholm at Stageworks/Hudson, Trouble: A New Rock Musical at NYMF and was a contributing choreographer to James Brown–Get On the Good Foot for The Apollo Theater/US Tour with director Otis Sallid. Currently, Weber is the creative director for the 2016 tour of Bring it! Live (Lifetime). Weber and The Deca Crew were featured on Season 2 of TruTV’s theatrical competition series Fake Off.

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

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is 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 (including over 1.5 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. NJPAC is a proud partner of Newark Celebration 350. To learn more: njpac.org.

About DPAC

Since its opening in 2008, DPAC has become the center for live entertainment in North Carolina. Recognized for its contemporary design, DPAC features 2,700 seats, intimate sightlines and state-of-the art sound and video. Listed seven times in the top 10 in Pollstar magazine’s annual worldwide theater attendance rankings, DPAC is currently the #4 ranked theater in the U.S.

With a mission of presenting one-of a-kind live entertainment events, DPAC truly has “something for everyone”, hosting over 200 performances a year including spectacular touring Broadway productions, high-profile concert and comedy events, family shows and the heralded American Dance Festival. Owned by the City of Durham and operated under the direction of Nederlander and Professional Facilities Management (PFM), DPAC has been listed for seven consecutive years as the #1 performing arts organization in the region by the Triangle Business Journal.

For more information please go to www.DPACnc.com