Black Nativity is a retelling of the classic
Nativity story with an entirely
black cast. Traditional
Christmas carols are sung in
gospel style, with a few songs created
specifically for the show.
Originally written by Langston Hughes, the show was first
performed on Broadway
on December 11, 1961, and was
one of the first plays written by an African-American to do
so. It has been performed in Boston
, Massachusetts
at Tremont Temple since 1969. The 160 singers are arranged by age group
and
vocal range, with an assortment of
soloist, along with the
narrator, and
Mary and
Joseph, who are both mute.
The show begins with the theater completely darkened. Barefoot
singers clad only in white robes and carrying (electric)
candles walk in, singing the classic
hymn "
Go
Tell It on the Mountain". The birth of
Jesus is one of the most dramatic aspects of the show.
The stage, previously lit with orange and blue lights, is bathed in
a deep red hue. Mary's contractions are echoed through the use of
African drums and percussion. The
Three Wise Men are typically played
by prominent members of the black community in the neighboring
area, and have no singing parts. The show closes with the chorus
singing a reprise of "Go Tell It on the Mountain" as they walk out
in darkness. A final
soliloquy by a young
child ends the performance.
The original name for this play was
Wasn’t It a Mighty
Day? Alvin Ailey was a part of the
original Off Broadway cast, but he and Carmen de Lavallade departed
from the show prior to opening in a dispute over changing the title
to
Black Nativity.
A performance of this musical also has taken place every Christmas
season for 11 years running in Seattle at the Intiman Theater. It
is a smaller production with closer to 30 than 160 performers- most
of whom are also members of The Total Experience Gospel Choir, led
by Pastor Patrinell Wright. It also starred Reverend Sam McKinney,
who has been a Civil Rights activist and a prominent Baptist
minister in the Seattle area for nearly 50 years, as well as being
a friend and classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
References
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