The Hip Hop Nutcracker Brings Its Holiday Remix to The National Theatre
Washington's holiday season gets an early jolt of energy when The Hip Hop Nutcracker spins into The National Theatre from Nov 17 through Nov 22. This family-friendly reimagining of the most beloved ballet in the holiday canon keeps Tchaikovsky's unforgettable score at its heart while trading pointe shoes for sneakers, and the result is a joyful, high-octane celebration that has become a seasonal tradition in cities across the country.
The story will feel familiar to anyone who has seen a traditional Nutcracker. Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince set off on a dreamlike adventure, battle a gang of mice, visit the Land of Sweets, and discover the lessons that make the holidays meaningful. What changes is the world around them. Instead of 19th-century Germany, E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale unfolds amid the vibrant streets of contemporary New York City, brought to life through dazzling digital graffiti and projected visuals. Tchaikovsky's music is remixed by a live DJ and reinvented by an electric violinist, and it's carried by a dozen all-star dancers whose athleticism has to be seen to be believed.
Leading the celebration this year is Da Brat, the platinum-selling, trailblazing rap artist who serves as host and MC. A Chicago native, Da Brat made history when her 1994 debut album Funkdafied entered the rap charts at No. 1 and went platinum, making her the first female solo rapper to sell a million copies. Over the decades she has collaborated with artists ranging from Mariah Carey and Missy Elliott to Jermaine Dupri and the Notorious B.I.G., earned a Grammy nomination, co-hosted the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show, and appeared on television in everything from The Chi to Dish Nation. Her magnetic presence gives the evening the feel of a genuine hip hop event, and her arrival marks a new chapter for a show long associated with rap pioneers.
The creative force behind the production is director and choreographer Jennifer Weber, one of the most in-demand choreographers working today. Weber earned two Tony Award nominations in a single Broadway season for her work on & Juliet and KPOP, along with Olivier recognition in London, and she won an Emmy for the televised version of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. Her choreography here works almost as a living history of hip hop dance, moving fluidly through breaking, popping, locking, voguing, waacking, krumping, and freestyle. The robotic precision of popping and locking turns out to be a perfect match for toys springing to life, while the battle sequences crackle with competitive energy, and the company even contributes freestyles of its own throughout the performance.
The show's origins are as charming as the story it tells. In 2013, writer Mike Fitelson, then running the United Palace of Cultural Arts in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, wanted to bring a Nutcracker uptown. He teamed up with Weber, whose company had already earned a reputation for setting hip hop dance to classical music, and the pair tested their idea with a 15-minute version featuring just three characters. Audiences loved it, and a full-length production premiered in 2014 at the United Palace and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. A national tour followed the next year, and the production has since grown into a holiday touring phenomenon, complete with a television special that brought it to audiences at home.
What makes The Hip Hop Nutcracker such a reliable crowd-pleaser is how naturally it bridges generations. Grandparents who grew up with the classic ballet hear every cherished melody, while kids and teens see their own culture reflected onstage in a way that feels exciting and current. The production celebrates love, community, and the magic of the season, and its message of new beginnings lands with warmth rather than sentimentality. It's a show that invites audiences to cheer, clap along, and leave the theatre buzzing.
The production runs about two hours, including a 20-minute intermission, and is appropriate for all ages, making it an ideal outing for families looking to start a holiday tradition or shake up an old one.