I know what you’re thinking… We haven’t even made it through Halloween candy and Thanksgiving dinner yet. Why are we time looping into Christmas already? Listen, I promise to bring you tons of pumpkin patches and turkey but right now just hear me out. Starting on Friday, September 27 I know what you’re thinking… We haven’t even made it through Halloween candy and Thanksgiving dinner yet. Why are we time looping into Christmas already? Listen, I promise to bring you tons of pumpkin patches and turkey but right now just hear me out. Starting on Friday, September 27 at 8:00 p.m. ALL ARTS Presents The Hip Hop Nutcracker at NJPAC airs on the ALL ARTS New York-area broadcast channel.
So, now what exactly is The Hip Hop Nutcracker? It’s an amazing contemporary dance production set to Tchaikovsky’s 
classic but with a little spin. This spectacular event is performed by a beat bopping cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and MC Kurtis Blow (YES Kurtis Blow!), one of hip hop’s founding fathers. Keeping the theme the original, 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. Throw in a bit of digital graffiti to transform the stage to the vibrant, diverse sights and sounds of New York City. Through this re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, the dynamic performers of The Hip Hop Nutcracker take us on a journey that celebrates love, community and the magic of the holiday season.
If I convinced you that you can put your pumpkin on pause to check this out, then make sure to check your local listings and nationwide through the free ALL ARTS streaming app and on allarts.org. The full program will also be airing throughout the fall and winter on local PBS broadcast stations throughout the country.
If the live version is more your speed The Hip Hop Nutcracker will play local area shows at The Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY on December 15 and NJPAC in Newark, NJ on December 20 and 21. More information can be found at www.hiphopnutcracker.com.
If you want a preview, you can check out the hip-hop action in this video
