Black Nativity – Count Basie Center for the Arts (thebasie.org)
A joyous retelling of the traditional Nativity story in music, dance and verse, Black Nativity is a Gospel “song play” based on the Gospel of St. Luke, using the poetry of Langston Hughes and performed by an all-Black cast of singers, actors, dancers and musicians. One of the first plays authored by an African-American to be performed on Broadway (it debuted in 1961), Black Nativity delivers a powerful message of joy, hope, victory and liberation. An important civic tradition in many cities across the country, Black Nativity is directed by veteran actor and director Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr., Producing Artistic Director of the Dunbar Repertory Company, whose mission is to perpetuate an appreciation of cultural diversity and celebrate African-American culture.