‘Black Nativity’ gives traditional Christmas story a cultural twist

Angled through a cultural prism, the opening chapter of The Greatest Story Ever Told -- and retold a couple millennia later -- looks like this:

"First it tells the story of the birth of Christ," says Robert Connor, director/co-producer of "Black Nativity," reimagining the hallowed Christmas staple with an all-black cast, as envisioned by a black playwright. "The second act, you see the residue of those characters -- the shepherd, the king, the deacons and elders of the church, the young people -- morphing into modern-day characters to see how the birth of Christ and that moment relates to the present day."

Penned by playwright-poet Langston Hughes, "Black Nativity" returns for its third annual Las Vegas production this weekend at Cashman Theatre by the Trinity Entertainment Group. The gospel-flavored musical dates back 47 years to its 1961 Broadway debut as one of the first pieces by a black writer to grace what was, in more than one sense, the Great White Way. The original cast included a young Alvin Ailey.

"Imagine seeing a parade of African-Americans onstage in the '60s -- it just wasn't the norm," says Connor, who is also a theater instructor at Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts.

"I think the reason Langston Hughes wrote this is that it was his way of telling African-Americans that they have a relationship with God. Back in the '60s, you'd always see in an African-American household, pictures of Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and a very blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus. We didn't necessarily see ourselves in a faith-based way. This isn't an exclusion of anyone, but a cultural affirmation telling African-Americans, 'You have a stake in your faith based on who you are as a people.' "

A score brimming with rousing spirituals sweeps through "Black Nativity," whose opening act portrays Christ's birth, retracing the journey of Mary and Joseph -- regally garbed in African costumes -- to Bethlehem. By the second act, the play time-travels 2,000 years to a contemporary black church on Christmas Day and a veritable hallelujah-fest of testifying deacons and passionate preaching.

"What it says to our community is that you're just as important and legitimate as anyone else, and what you have to say and bring to this country is significant," Connor says. "The show has a lot of meaning, especially in today's circumstances where people are struggling. It's a hopeful, endearing, heartfelt show, and good, wholesome entertainment, where you can bring your 2-, 3- or 4-year-old and come out feeling good about what you just saw."

Emerging from a cultural makeover, "Black Nativity" shifts perspective and creatively riffs on what remains a cherished chapter of The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.