What did our critic think of Black Nativity at Karma In Partnership With Cleveland Play House? Langston Hughes, the author of Black Nativity, now on stage at the Allen Theatre, in a joint production between Karamu, the country’s oldest black producing theater and the Cleveland Play House, the nation’s first resident company, was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.
Langston Hughes' soaring music- and poetry-infused retelling of the birth of Jesus comes to the Crossroads Theatre Company for the holiday season in a new production of the late writer's classic work, Black Nativity. The show runs tonight, Dec. 9, through Dec. 18. Opening night is Saturday, Dec. 10. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
In 1961 at the 41st Street Theatre in New York City, African-American poet-playwright Langston Hughes premiered a work called Black Nativity, a collection of gospel songs punctuated by Hughes's own verse narrating the birth of Jesus. After a very short run, the only souvenir of that historic event was a rare LP recording. More than a half century later, Maine musicologist Aaron Robinson has collaborated with Bowdoin College conductor and choral director Anthony Antolini to mount a revised version of Hughes' original work. Entitled Black Nativity In Concert - A Gospel Celebration, Robinson has utilized Hughes' original texts, adding a few plus some Biblical verse, as well. For the musical settings he relied on transcribing the recording and arranging several songs himself. Performed yesterday by the seventy-five person Bowdoin Chorus, conducted by Antolini, with Roy Partridge as narrator, Jennifer McIvor on piano, and Sean Fleming on the Hammond organ, the concert in Studzkinski Recital Hall drew an overflowing crowd, many of whom were relegated to watching on lobby monitors.
THE MAN WHO ATE MICHAEL ROCKEFELLER - Jeff Cohen's play that enjoyed great success during its world-premiere at the West End Theatre off-off-Broadway in Manhattan in the fall - will return for a limited engagement Off-Broadway at the Arclight Theatre (152 W. 71 St.) with previews starting February 2, 2011 prior to a press opening on Wednesday, February 9.
On September 12, 2010, Dog Run Rep's world premiere of Jeff Cohen's new play The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller, directed by Alfred Preisser, opened at the West End Theatre, located in The Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew on New York's Upper West Side.
DOG RUN REP is presenting the world premiere of The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller, a new play by Jeff Cohen based on the short story by Christopher Stokes, directed by Alfred Preisser.
