Nutz Re-Mixed takes the traditional holiday favorite Nutcracker and adds some pizzaz. A Tandy Beal and Company production, Nutz Re-Mixed adds eye-popping theatrics, circus tricks, acrobatics, cultural folklorico dance, hip hop and breathtaking singers for a “joyful” evening for families and friends.

Beal, director and producer of Nutz Re-Mixed, said that her vision for the show came from working with people in the circus, dance and musical industries. She loves the different ways those art forms could be woven together.

“My main concern was how do we make things we’re familiar with fresh again,” Beal said. “A mother brought her three-year-old to the show and she didn’t think he’d be able to sit through the whole thing, but he did and that lets me know [Nutz Re-Mixed] reaches out to a wide range of ages.”

Beal added that families are highly encouraged to attend because there are multiple access points to the story. The addition of acrobatic tricks, Mexican Folklorico dance from San Jose State, Mongolian cartoonists and Wang Hong, a former soloist in Cirque De Soleil and gold medal winner in world circus competitions, combine to create an intriguing, diverse performance.

Nutz Re-mixed is the first show to be presented at the newly opened Hammer Theatre 2.0, formerly the San Jose Repertory Theatre. The modern take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker presents a capella group SoVoSo, which will perform traditional and seasonal songs with a “Candy Land flavored” tune.

“The singers are an astonishing centerpiece for the show,” Beal said. “Not only do they sing, but they tell wisecracks and interact with the plot. They sing the whole second act live. You feel like you’re hearing a guitar and all these instruments but it’s just voices.”

As preparation winds down for opening night, Beal said, the cast has become quite close-knit.

“The fact that we get to practice joy every time we go into a rehearsal, means a lot,” she said. “I chose people in the show for their artistry, but also for their good spirits because I know it speaks to an audience. When I think of the time, of the dark, the year moving into winter and coming out of the election—oh my gosh, we’ll need our hearts uplifted. A spirit wonder and just a good time.”

Nutz Re-Mixed runs from Nov. 18 to Dec. 4 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.