Date & Time
Price $22 - $55
Venue
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
1012 N. Orange Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236
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Black Nativity
Adapted and Directed by Nate Jacobs
SHOWTIMES: 7:30 PM; MATINEES - 2PM
Each December, WBTT presents a holiday show, alternating annually with A Motown Christmas, Joyful! Joyful! and Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity.
A seasonal favorite of Black theatres worldwide, Black Nativity has been performed in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and other American cities. It has often been staged in Europe and Australia as well.
The holiday hit originates from a script by Harlem Renaissance author Langston Hughes, titled Wasn’t That a Mighty Day? The stage version, which opened at New York’s Forty-First Street Theatre in 1961, was what Hughes called “a gospel-song play,” because it presented traditional Christmas carols delivered in a gospel style in its retelling of the birth of the Christ child from a uniquely African American point of view.
That Black Nativity is still such an audience draw, more than 60 years after its first staging, is a testament to the lasting power of the Nativity tale to engage and inspire audiences. Unusual in the early 1960s for its entirely Black cast, Black Nativity artfully incorporates dance, drama and folk spirituals to round out its compelling story. The result pleases audiences of all colors and creeds.
Directors love producing Black Nativity because there is a wide latitude in interpretation—each staging is unique. The WBTT versions are no exception; audiences will enjoy new musical arrangements and new choreography in this production.
Happy holidays from our Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe family to yours!
Our holiday show is not a part of our regular subscription season.
ADULT TICKET - $52
STUDENT (25 & UNDER) / ACTIVE MILITARY TICKET - $22. Must present valid ID upon request.
PREVIEW ADULT TICKET (the first 3 performance dates or as listed) - $42
Preview performances are the last chance for directors and designers to polish a production before Opening Night. We welcome the audience to join us in this process at a discounted ticket price for these performances.