BLACK NATIVITY – Written by Langston Hughes; Directed by Jo Bunton Keel; Musical Direction by Reverend Daryl Walker and Ervia Davis; Choreographed by Janice Guy Sayles and Novuyo Masakhane. Produced by Vintage Theatre Productions (1468 Dayton Street, Aurora) through December 29. Tickets available at 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.org.
Such a joyful noise coming out of the doors at Vintage these nights. BLACK NATIVITY is a ‘gospel-inspired celebration” in Langston Hughes’s own words and he wasn’t kidding. It’s a simple production that blends music, dance, light, sound, poetry, history, and joy into a true celebration of the Biblical origin stories of the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Prologue visualizes the creation of Earth in a lovely montage of James Weldon Johnson’s poetry, with startlingly beautiful illustrations by Lighting Designer Logan Foy (executed by Board Operator Jennifer Schmitz) and Audio Engineer Russ Kirby. It truly is a breathtaking way to start the show.
As the show commences, we follow Joseph and Mary on their trek to Bethlehem, the birth of the baby Jesus, and the arrival of the shepherds and the three kings through music and dance. A selection of traditional spiritual songs follows highlighting the beautiful voices of the women in the ensemble.
The second act brings the male members of the cast into the spotlight and features gospel songs in a glorious choir. The music then moves into modern times including rap and spoken word poems. Krisangela Washington provides a dance interpretation of several of the numbers.
It’s hard to say exactly why this works so well but it does. There were gasps of pleasure during the opening Creation segment at the visualization through light and sound added to the spoken word of Hugo Jon Sayles (as the Breath of God) and Mary Louise Lee (as Mother Africa). Verbal delight greeted the birth of the baby. The audience spontaneously joined in the clapping when the gospel songs rose. The ensemble movement (choreographed by Janice Guy Sayles) was simple enough for the non-dancers but added strength to the music.
The costumes, curated by Holly Kai Hurd, were a blend of African robes, choir surplices, and modern dress. The production was blessed by the sure-handed direction of Jo Bunton Keel, for whom this production was like visiting an old friend. It was great to revisit this piece with her at the helm. The success of the evening may be hard to pinpoint, but it is there nonetheless. The audience left smiling and humming, made joyful by the noise. Jeffrey, you would be proud.
A WOW factor of 8.5!!