HAVANA HOP Comes to Philadelphia Theatre Company

Philadelphia Theatre Company will continue its 51st season with Havana Hop, a high-energy, one-woman  performance written, choreographed, and performed by Paige Hernandez, a multidisciplinary artist  acclaimed as a performer, director, choreographer, and playwright. The show features original music by  Nick “Nick tha 1da” Hernandez and Kris Funn. Directed by Danielle Drakes, a theater professional with  extensive experience in performance, directing, and arts administration, Havana Hop runs for two days  only, with three performances on Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18, 2026, at PTC’s  Suzanne Roberts Theatre. 

A joyful and inclusive experience for families, Havana Hop invites young audiences into a friendly,  participatory environment where kids are encouraged to move, dance, and respond freely. In the show,  Young Yeila (Paige Hernandez) dreams of being a superstar, but her lack of confidence gives her awful  stage fright. With advice from her mother and grandmother, Yeila embarks on a lively journey from  Washington, D.C. to Cuba to find her roots, gain confidence, and discover her unique rhythm. In this  dynamic, interactive performance blending hip-hop, salsa, storytelling, and movement, audiences of all  ages are invited to dance along as one actress brings three generations of spirited women to life. 

“Paige Hernandez’s Havana Hop is full of heart, rhythm, and joy,” says PTC Co-Artistic Director Tyler  Dobrowsky. “It’s a celebration of identity and imagination, told through a performance that radiates  warmth and inclusivity. This is the kind of theater that connects kids, families, and communities.” 

Paige Hernandez is known nationally for her unique fusion of theatre, hip-hop, dance, and education.  Named one of American Theatre Magazine’s “Six Theatre Workers You Should Know” and a Kennedy  Center Citizen Artist Fellow, she has performed and directed on stages across the country, from The  Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center to the Glimmerglass Festival and La Jolla Playhouse. Through her  company, B-FLY Entertainment, she develops and tours original works that uplift multicultural and  multigenerational voices, using movement and rhythm as universal languages of connection. Havana  Hop, commissioned by Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning, has become one of her most beloved  touring pieces, inspiring young audiences worldwide to celebrate their roots and embrace confidence  through creativity.

Director Danielle Drakes brings a deep understanding of Havana Hop’s creative and emotional core,  having developed and directed both of Hernandez’s acclaimed solo shows, Paige in Full and Havana  Hop, which continue to tour nationally and internationally. She is dedicated to using theater as a tool for  empathy and equity. Drakes’s directing credits include recent world premieres The Wilting Point (Keegan Theatre) and Ghost/Writer (Rep Stage), as well as work with The Kennedy Center and Ford’s  Theatre, where she originated the role of Elizabeth Keckley in History on Foot, recipient of the Helen  Hayes/The Washington Post Award.  

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