KOLA: An Afro Diasporic Remix of The Nutcracker
The Production Re-Envisions The Nutcracker Through African & AfroLatinX Lens, Reflecting the Lives of Black and Brown Children in Modern-Day Oakland.
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Click HERE to see the character descriptions and more info about the auditions! Please email info@thepeoplesconservatory for more info and questions.
In December 2019, local Oakland non-profit The People’s Conservatory (TPC), in collaboration with renowned local artists such as Grammy Nominated Hip Hop and Soul artist Mystic, SFJAZZ Collective member Martin Luther, and the OSA Concert Choir premiered Kola: An Afro Diasporic Remix of The Nutcracker. Kola had an eight-show run, with a sold-out final show, from December 12th - 15th; 19th - 22nd at Castlemont High School in Oakland.
This all Oakland professional production is a re-envisioned version of The Nutcracker through the lens of African and Afro-Latinx music, dance, theater, and culture reflecting the lives of Black and Brown children socially, politically, and spiritually in modern-day Oakland.
500+ students from over a dozen Oakland and other East Bay schools were involved as performers, composers and costume/set designers, including OSA, Anna Yates, Northern Light, Pear Tree Community School, West Oakland Middle School, Envision Academy Middle Grades, Park Day, Head Royce, and Latitude High School.
The Kola creative team, comprised of TPC founder Rozz Nash and beloved local artists Kev Choice, Jennifer Johns, and RyanNicole, rewrote this narrative and offer new music compositions representing Jazz, Gospel, Afro-Caribbean, Hip Hop, R&B, and re-mixed Tchaikovsky.
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The 2019 show was dedicated to Kamaiu Sol Presented with support of Oakland Cultural Affairs, The Barrios Trust & Shawn Ginwright.