There are a couple of anniversaries associated with The Hip Hop Nutcracker this year. The show, playing this week only at Broadway in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre, was created 10 years ago by director/choreographer Jennifer Weber and writer Mike Fitelson. With a special guest appearance from hip-hop godfather Kurtis Blow–who serves as a joyous hype man and performs an opening medley of classic rap numbers with an assist from DJ Boo on the wheels of steel–the show also leans in to celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop itself. Hey, ho! Hey, ho!
After Blow gets everyone–especially the old-school fans–up and dancing, the story begins with a searing solo from ace violinist Marissa Licata backed up by DJ Boo, who remains onstage for the entire production. And then we are transported to a New Year’s Eve in the city where teenage Maria-Clara (Halima Dodo) strolls through the falling snow with her bickering parents (G’Bari “GQ” Gillam and Jesse Smith). Mom wants to dance in the street with the festive folks busting moves, but Dad just wants to go home to bed before the clock even strikes midnight.
Maria-Clara ditches that bad scene to hang out with a nut vendor known as The Nutcracker (Anthony “Omen” Cabrera), who she meets thanks to mysterious toymaker Drosselmeyer (Tumelo “Melo” Khupe). Romance blossoms as red Solo cups filled with potent brew are passed around, but Mom and Dad soon return to scold their underage daughter and take her home.
Later, in a delightful dream sequence, Drosselmeyer whisks Maria-Clara and The Nutcracker via magic el tracks to an earlier time–first 10 years, then 20 years, then “back in the day.” There, the teens watch Maria-Clara’s parents meet for the first time at a dance club where they sweep each other off their feet with impressive moves and instant chemistry. Can Drosselmeyer and the young bloods help the parents rediscover that romantic spark in the present day?
The dozen highly talented dancers certainly perform their share of showy flips and head spins, but the beautifully synched group choreography is the most memorable aspect of the show. Aside from the live violin and DJ, the main show employs a pre-recorded symphonic score to go with a minimal set and simple projections. Seeing the contrast between classically performed Tchaikovsky and classic hip-hop dance is a lot of fun, though it’s wonderful when the DJ injects some fresh beats into the mix and we can see both the choreography and the music reimagined into a sweet, showy treat.
The Hip Hop Nutcracker runs through December 17 at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.
For a full roundup of reviews of this show, visit Theatre in Chicago.
Photo by Timothy Norris
