A favorite Holidays-Holidays show since Nate Jacobs founded Westcoast Black Theater Troupe, Black Nativity plays for the first time 2022 in the Troupe’s new theater of its own. The musical play, in its present form, will undoubtedly be a permanent, popular treat in years to come.
The piece is a reverent Black African portrayal of the Christmas story, followed by a contemporary parallel one with joyful meaning for all people today and always.
At WBBT, Donovan Whitney as Narrator of Act I (and Preacher in II) clearly directs audience attention to the backgrounds and importance of each scene. His dramatic counterpart is a radiant Stephanie Sandra as Archangel Gabriel and, later, overseer of a celebration today. Ariel Blue and Syreeta Banks effectively convey the early story of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth expecting the birth of John the Baptist (to Nate Jacobs’s song “Hail Mary”) and reaction of and to Mary (a traditional “You Are Wonderful”).
The familiar details leading up to and including the birth of Jesus (via Maicy Powel’s sweet Virgin and Raleigh Mosely II’s at-first-puzzled Joseph (“My Way Is Cloudy” by H. T. Burleigh)) and the soon acceptance of wife and baby as Joseph’s own are presented with both power and a bit of welcome humor. The latter comes over in Jacobs’s song “Conceived by a Spirit” sung by the Female Ensemble.
Most of the actual Birth event is conveyed in the songs “Most Done Traveling” by A. Bradford, “Breath of Heaven” by C. Eaton, A. Grant, and O. Olafson, with the traditional “Kumbaya” (a whole Ensemble highlight) leading to popular classic songs “Mary Had a Baby” and “Oh What a Pretty Little Baby.”
Nate Jacobs takes the lead with the Ensemble singing “Wasn’t That a Mighty Day” by R. Staples. It’s a culmination of excellent song and dance along with the story of the Shepherds enacted by the Ensemble. (Some of the Shepherds far down center not only look their parts but typify their profession and their reactions.)
This part of the Christmas story introduces Herod learning about Three Kings coming to adore a future King who has been born in Bethlehem. “Who Would Imagine a King?” is Jaliyah Campbell and Hadara Porter’s lead-in to presenting Herod’s hunt to prevent such a king (as envisioned in M. Warren and H. Will’s song). Jacobs’s following song, “I’ve Found the King of Kings”, features CJ Melton with the Ensemble.
Two popular songs—“O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” (each first written for the Christmas season) close Act I. Stephanie Sandra leads the Ensemble in the latter with all-out verve.
Act II has Donovan Whitney as a contemporary Preacher in a Black Church gathering its Faithful (with some implicit narration) for a Christmastime celebration. “Rise Up Shepherd and Follow” is Ariel Blue and CJ Melton’s call to the Ensemble, who respond with the traditional “Glory Be to God in the Highest” and a newer arrangement, nicely led by Amber Myers, of “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel.” The contemporary story allows Nate Jacobs to bring in representatives of WBTT’s Youth Program. C. J. Melton and Samuel Walte are featured with Jacobs in “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” by P. Campbell. Stephanie Sandra and Ensemble take over performing three later songs about the needs for sharing Meetings and even a “Revival” (the latter song written by Jacobs). Because “Christmas Means Love” (as inM. Dollison’s song), the union of modern Mary and Joseph counterparts Raleigh Mosey II and Maicy Powell gets special attention in Act II. (The actors well merit this.)
Tianna Harris leads the Ensemble to warn “Don’t Save It All for Christmas Day.” Amber Myers and Hadara Porter present a modern musical warning, “My Grown-Up Christmas List.” Jacobs’s original “”We Need a Revival”, led by Stephanie Zandra’s influential parishioner with CJ Melton, signals the end of Act II. The final Ensemble doing the well-known “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” turns into an extended curtain call. On the night I attended, the applause certainly encouraged that.
Patrick Russini deserves applause for the sound design that brought the theater excellent music by Matthew McKinnon and group, who play behind and above the visible stage. Onstage speeches and songs also are well amplified. The variety and realism of costuming by Adrienne Pitts maintains WBTT’s excellent reputation in this regard. The set is basically a background of color presenting an African village in Act I and meeting room in II. All are made versatile by tiers of side-to-side steps and descending platforms at each side of the stage. On one bottom side, there’s a circular rise used by the Narrator. It works very well for the audience in front rows but may challenge those on both sides of the theater.
If I have any criticism of this production, it is that Act I is slightly too long, especially in proportion to Act II. Perhaps some of the space Jacobs has given to his own songs in Act I could be eliminated or, even better, altered and added to II. I think he (as director/adapter) and his grand assistant director-choreographer Donald Frison can ably rise to such a challenge, as their excellent work here shows. I am sure Langston Hughes would approve, as he must (in heaven) of this production of his lovely writing and its subjects.
