Sugar Hill

A DANCE STORY ABOUT THE MAGIC OF JAZZ AND FINDING YOUR YOU

ACCLAIM FOR SUGAR HILL

“A joyful, jazzy reinvention.” – Chicago Tribune

“It’s ‘The Nutcracker‘ to a totally different beat, and thoroughly entertaining.” – Chicago Sun-Times

OVERVIEW

An exhilarating story told in dance, SUGAR HILL is set to the music of the genre-defying collaboration between jazz icons bandleader/composer, Duke Ellington, and composer, Billy Strayhorn, in a captivating way that has never been done before.

SUGAR HILL reveals the glamour of the 1930s as seen through the lens of the nonconformist daughter of a high-society Black family living in Manhattan and her fantastic dreamworld in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem. A jazz-steeped reimagining of the classic tale, this Nutcracker dance-story sends a stirring message that champions individuality and the journey to find the power of your unique self: “Go find what makes you different to find your magic.”

The 2023 premiere production starred Jinhao Zhang and Josué Gomez as the Nutcracker Musician, Alicia Mae Holloway as Lena, Shavey Brown as Sweet Pea, Jennifer Jade Ledesna as The Angel, Kenneth Darryl Ard as Uncle Dross, and Brenda Braxton as Mother Sugar/Mama Stall. Additional cast included Nikolas Danilovich-Eugene Gaifullin, Larissa Gerszke, Nayara Lopes, Natascha Mair, Tatiana Nuñez and Scott Weber. Audrey Borst, Joshua Dawson, Nathan Fister, Johnathon Darcelle Hart, Ayaka Kamei, Laura Katherine Kaufman, Amarachi Valentina Korie, Muata Ayodele Langley, James Luc, Chase Maxwell, Charlotte McKinley, Dario Natarelli, Megan Prout, Jocelyn Iris Raykumar, Ange ‘Gregg’ Sainvilus, Tyler D. Singletary, Olivia Tang-Mifsud and Matt Wiercinski complete the SUGAR HILL cast.

This production is directed and choreographed by Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Award nominee and Emmy Award-winner Joshua Bergasse , with co-choreography by Jade Hale-Christofi. The show features a world-renowned creative team of dance superstars, with additional choreography by Caleb Teicher and two-time Emmy Award nominee Jon Boogz, and dance consultation from Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement recipient, Graciela Daniele, Orchestrations and Arrangements are by Grammy Award®-winner John Clayton and three-time Tony Award® nominee Larry Blank and Paul Masse (Dance Arranger). Tripp Phillips is Production Stage Manager. Casting by Mungioli Theatricals, Inc.

Produced by Hello Entertainment, Dr. Ron Simons, Rob Quadrino, Valencia Yearwood, Willette and Manny Klausner, Dr. Yemin (Yuan) McDougal, Nicole Eisenberg, Chinese Performing Arts Production International, Carol Hefren Tillotson, Harris Ferris, Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom/Mary Cossette, Christopher Reid, TVT Capital Source LLC, Randee Paston, Lawrence Williams/Shanyn Stewart, Tonya Pinkens, Brass Bull Productions, Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc. and Schirmer Theatrical.