'Black Nativity' a joyful holiday staple

By ANNETTE JOHN-HALL
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Black Nativity is my Nutcracker, my unofficial kickoff to the holiday season.

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This year, I worried that Black Nativity - the story of the birth of Christ told in song and dance, based on a play by Langston Hughes - would die in the mire of Freedom Theatre's financial turmoil of the last year. But in its ninth season, the production, conceived and directed by artistic director Walter Dallas and with top-notch choreography by Patricia Scott Hobbs, is as uplifting as ever.

The musical succeeds because it manages to stay fresh while maintaining its most appealing elements.

Spirited Christmas song and dance

By MIRIAM SEIDEL
For The Philadelphia Inquirer

Carols in Color has become a regional holiday tradition, and it's hard to imagine a more rousing and uplifting one.

Inspired by Langston Hughes' Black Nativity, the late Leon Evans 12 years ago created this marriage of modern dance and gospel-style singing of Christmas songs to tell the Christmas story. With additional choreography by artistic director Shawn-Lemere Williams, Eleone Dance Theatre will light up the Painted Bride stage with it for a final performance tonight.