519 Reviews as of : 03/06/2010

Loosely based on Langston Hughes' Black Nativity, the Classical Theatre of Harlem puts on a Christmas show like no other I've seen in quite a long time. With a terrific 4-piece band perched in cages above the playing area, the birth of Jesus arrives via the Motown Sound and what usually gets treated with solemn reverence now gets the rollicking joy it needs. Backed by an inspirational choir, a narrator/pastor (Andre De Shields) shimmies, shakes, quakes, struts and seduces his audience a la James Brown. One never knows what to expect; an angel becomes Tina Turner; shepherds turn into The Temptations; 3 of the Jackson Five moonwalk while following the star of Bethlehem; and the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, the Pips and more morph into various players in the holy land. This agenda liberates the soul and in true gospel fashion compels one to get up and dance. In the middle of it all Kenya's Shangilia Youth Choir arrives to remind us what Christmas is all about in the truest sense of the word. The one drawback in this production showcases a modern-dancing Mary and Joseph. Although one such dance is to be interpreted as the labor pains of birth, you can't help but think it wouldn't hurt so much if Mary weren't dancing. Otherwise, the choreography by Tracy Jack, who plays Mary, gets the Motown movements for the rest of the cast down to a T.

Alfred Preisser constructs the evening so that it achieves the maximum effect, each number and the patter in between ratcheting up our heartbeat. He is greatly helped by his design team, especially Aaron Black's lighting and Kimberly Glennon's costumes. But the show would be a lot less fun without Mr. De Shields. Possessing non-stop energy, he can't help but make you laugh. And one forgets what a good singer he is, finding the specific reason why each song is sung. He gets you to shout 'Hallelujah!'

...end