‘Nutcracker’ gets updated beats, thanks to rapper

When Kurtis Blow struts onto the stage of the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita for “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” on Dec. 20, the rap artist won’t just be glad to be performing.

He’ll be glad to be alive.

The 57-year-old artist went into cardiac arrest outside his Los Angeles home in late October.

“My heart stopped for about five minutes and I was revived by the LAPD and the paramedics,” he said in a phone interview. “People just don’t come back from that. The doctors are baffled. They say it’s a miracle.

“I’m a walking miracle and a testimony to the power of God in our lives,” he added. (Several accounts say that Blow, whose real name is Kurtis Walker, called the police regarding a robbery in his home, and he collapsed with his son nearby as officers took reports.)

Already a devout Christian – and an ordained minister for the past seven years – Blow said his faith was “enhanced” by the experience.

“I’m still in shock mode, actually, and amazed by the power of God and the power of prayer,” he said. “A lot of miracles happened in that hospital. … A healing was taking place before my eyes. It’s still amazing to this day.”

Blow said he’s bringing that sense of amazement and wonder to the stage with “Hip Hop Nutcracker,” in which 12 dancers, a DJ and a musician on electric violin re-create the story from Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet score.

“It’s really an upbeat, energetic love story and classic play that has flipped into a modern hip-hop extravaganza,” he said.

A native of Harlem in New York City, Blow gained exposure in 1979 as the first rapper signed to a major label with his single “Christmas Rappin’.” He is releasing a new single, “Christmas Delight,” this season and expects to have a holiday album out in late 2017.

He will perform on the Orpheum stage before the beginning of the story and will introduce the contemporary take.

“I love the fusion between the classical music of Tchaikovsky and hip-hop,’” he said. “The beat, with that classical orchestra sound, is really incredible.”

Blow was first introduced to the concept two years ago, when it was staged in New York.

“It’s such an amazing fusion of modern dance and classic music. It’s incredible,” he said.

Director-choreographer Jennifer Weber said she was glad for Blow’s contributions to “Hip Hop Nutcracker.”

“Kurtis is just a gift to hip-hop. He’s so brilliant as a performer,” Weber said in a phone interview from New York City.

“He brings a lot of knowledge and a lot of ideas to the table,” she added. “His main thing is being a voice from the birth of hip-hop. He was there in the beginning, so it’s great to get his feedback.”

The concept of “Hip Hop Nutcracker” was introduced in a 10-minute version with three dancers in 2013, Weber said. The full show was staged in New York and New Jersey in 2014.

Last year, the tour grew to 14 cities, including a stop in Moscow, where Weber said the cast and crew were uncertain of the response they’d get.

“The audiences were so open to it. There’s actually a really big hip-hop scene in Russia, especially Moscow,” she said. “It makes you think about the differences between politics and culture and how you can go to a country that’s so different politically, but culturally we share so much as artists.”

This year, the tour has grown to 23 cities, with requests already being made for performances next year, she said.

The story follows the basic plot of the beloved ballet but is set in a present-day inner city, Weber said. Large projection screens help convey the setting.

Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel back to the 1980s, where her parents – who are feuding when the tale begins – first met and fell in love in a nightclub.

Elements such as the mice, soldiers and growing Christmas tree are there. “You’ll just see it through the lens of hip-hop,” Weber said.

The dozen dancers provide a variety of styles and ethnic backgrounds, she said.

“We’re like the United Nations of hip-hop,” Weber added.

While the original “Nutcracker” has produced its share of warm fuzzies for audiences for a century, Weber says there’s still emotions in this version as well.

“You’re going to get an inspired and energized feelings,” she said. “It’s a story about love, it’s a story about a family coming together, the magic of the holidays and the magic of dance.

“So much of that emotion comes through in the music,” Weber added. “When we’re translating that music into our hip-hop dance vocabulary, we want to stay true to that emotion.”

Blow’s contributions gets the audience ready for the show, Weber said.

“It gets the audience super-super-super hyped-up,” she said. “Then we go into the Tchaikovsky, and they’re still super hyped-up.”

The rap icon says he’s glad for the message that “Hip Hop Nutcracker” conveys.

“It’s the spirit of giving and being thankful for the blessings you have received throughout the year,” said Blow, the founder of the Hip Hop Church Global. “I just throw in ‘Thank God’ in my little opening every night.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 8:23 PM with the headline "‘Nutcracker’ gets updated beats, thanks to rapper."