Kurtis Blow Announces THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER Dates

Tchaikovsky's 129-year-old ballet is reimagined as a holiday dance spectacle in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, hitting the road for a seventh season. The production features hip hop pioneer Kurtis "The Breaks" Blow, the first rapper to be signed by a major label in 1979. 42 years and a heart transplant later, this hip hop founding father is still performing as MC of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. Preview the action here: https://youtu.be/toBO5yHVIhg

A cast of a dozen all-star dancers, an on-stage DJ and an electric violinist turn the beloved score on its head. The 31-city tour kicks off in San Diego, California on November 6, 2021 before stops in Oakland, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York City, and Boston.

"Through the isolation of the pandemic and for me, personally, the gift of receiving a new heart, it is time to hope again," says Kurtis Walker, known professionally as Kurtis Blow. "And the season of hope is Christmas." On December 6, 2020, he had a heart transplant that has given him a new life.

Blow has paved the way for generations of hip hop artists and fans after scoring the first certified gold record rap song in 1980, "The Breaks." He was also the first rapper to be signed to a major label. Blow is also responsible for "Christmas Rappin', the perennial first rap holiday song.

"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."

Just like the classic Nutcracker story, 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. Through the modern, self-expressive gaze of hip hop culture, the dynamic performers of The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrate 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.

Tour Dates:

November 6 San Diego, CA Civic Theatre

November 7 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Arts

November 10 Oakland, CA Paramount Theatre

November 12 Eugene, OR Hult Center for the Performing Arts

November 13-14 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre

November 15 Olympia, WA Washington Center for the Performing Arts

November 16 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium

November 19-20 Denver, CO Buell Theatre

November 23 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall

November 24 Oklahoma City, OK Civic Center Music Hall

November 26 St. Louis, MO Stifel Theatre

November 28 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theatre

November 30 Lawrence, KS Lied Center

December 3 Dayton, OH Victoria Theatre

December 4 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre

December 7 Charleston, SC Gaillard Center

December 8 Richmond, VA Altria Theater

December 10 W. Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center

December 12 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre

December 14 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre

December 15 Roanoke, VA Berglund Performing Arts Theatre

December 18 Newark, NJ NJPAC

December 19 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre

December 23 New Haven, CT Shubert Theatre

December 26 Durham, NC DPAC

December 27-28 Charlotte, NC Blumenthal Performing Arts

December 29 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall

December 30 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center

January 1 Boston, MA Emerson Colonial Theatre

January 2 New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre New Jersey