The Hip Hop Nutcracker with Kurtis Blow at Palace Theatre

The Hip Hop Nutcracker tours into the Palace Theatre, 34 West Broad Street, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 18, 2026. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, the show keeps Tchaikovsky's score and the outline of E.T.A. Hoffmann's story but moves the action from 19th century Germany to present-day New York City.

Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince still battle the mice and visit the Land of Sweets, but the choreography is hip hop, the backdrops are digital graffiti, and a DJ and an electric violinist perform live on stage. A cast of a dozen dancers carries the story without dialogue.

MC Kurtis Blow, one of the founders of hip hop and the voice behind The Breaks, opens the night with a short set before the curtain. The pop-culture energy makes it a good first Nutcracker for kids who might not sit through a traditional ballet.