[NEohioPAL]Dynamic Christmas Show at Karamu House

Performing Arts performingarts at karamu.com
Wed Dec 15 07:35:28 PST 2004


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Black Nativity @ Karamu 12/11 What: Langston Hughes' Afrocentric holiday =
classic - part colorful Christmas pageant, part gospel revival - gets a =
rousing revival at Karamu.=20
Reasons to go: An evening of lift-you-up-until-you're-dizzy gospel =
music, with huge solo-capable voices from some of the best gospel choirs =
in a 5-county area - standouts were Ra-Deon Kirkland, Lilly A. Elkins, =
and Tiffany Renee Allison. Katherine L. Tobasko's jewel-tone costumes =
are a riot of lush fabrics, ending in a Magi trimmed in velvet and =
leopardskin. Expressive dancing and choreography - as Mary, Natasha =
Colon's convulsive labor pains were so realistic, they gave me =
flashbacks. Michael Medcalf was a suitably desperate Joseph, and his 2nd =
act sacred dance made his body nearly levitate in a physical offering of =
devotion. Ensemble dancers from the Cleveland School of the Arts also =
shone, especially Bryan Marshall's break-dancing shepherd.=20
Caveats: Under director/choreographer Terence M. Greene, the production =
is more unabashedly religious than ever - the first act a Nativity story =
with song & dance, the second a no-plot gospel worship service. At =
Saturday's performance the sound system had occasional sizzles from the =
capacious vocal volumes.=20
Backstory: This shows the first fruits of the new collaboration between =
Karamu and the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, which is now a =
resident company there, with CCDT's Artistic Director Medcalf & Natasha =
Colon as principal dancers. So far it's a success - the dancing was a =
production highlight.=20
Target audience: Lovers of gospel music and those who want more Christ =
in their Christmas.=20
Details: Karamu, 2355 E. 89th St. Call 795-7070. Through 12/30. =
<http://cl.exct.net/?fe6a15727064067a7114-fe2f1170756d007e7c1571>.=20
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein Linda at coolcleveland.com =
<mailto:Linda at coolcleveland.com>=20


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<P>Black Nativity @ Karamu 12/11 </FONT><FONT =
size=3D3>What:</FONT></B><FONT=20
size=3D3> Langston Hughes' Afrocentric holiday classic - part colorful =
Christmas=20
pageant, part gospel revival - gets a rousing revival at Karamu. =
<BR><B>Reasons=20
to go:</B> An evening of lift-you-up-until-you're-dizzy gospel music, =
with huge=20
solo-capable voices from some of the best gospel choirs in a 5-county =
area -=20
standouts were Ra-Deon Kirkland, Lilly A. Elkins, and Tiffany Renee =
Allison.=20
Katherine L. Tobasko's jewel-tone costumes are a riot of lush fabrics, =
ending in=20
a Magi trimmed in velvet and leopardskin. Expressive dancing and =
choreography -=20
as Mary, Natasha Colon's convulsive labor pains were so realistic, they =
gave me=20
flashbacks. Michael Medcalf was a suitably desperate Joseph, and his 2nd =
act=20
sacred dance made his body nearly levitate in a physical offering of =
devotion.=20
Ensemble dancers from the Cleveland School of the Arts also shone, =
especially=20
Bryan Marshall's break-dancing shepherd. <BR><B>Caveats:</B> Under=20
director/choreographer Terence M. Greene, the production is more =
unabashedly=20
religious than ever - the first act a Nativity story with song & =
dance, the=20
second a no-plot gospel worship service. At Saturday's performance the =
sound=20
system had occasional sizzles from the capacious vocal volumes.=20
<BR><B>Backstory:</B> This shows the first fruits of the new =
collaboration=20
between Karamu and the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, which is =
now a=20
resident company there, with CCDT's Artistic Director Medcalf & =
Natasha=20
Colon as principal dancers. So far it's a success - the dancing was a =
production=20
highlight. <BR><B>Target audience:</B> Lovers of gospel music and those =
who want=20
more Christ in their Christmas. <BR><B>Details:</B> Karamu, 2355 E. 89th =
St.=20
Call 795-7070. Through 12/30. <U><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff><http://cl.exct.net/?fe6a15727064067a7114-fe2f1170756d=
007e7c1571></U></FONT></FONT><FONT=20
size=3D3>. <BR><B>from</B> <B><I>Cool Cleveland</B></FONT></I><FONT =
size=3D3>=20
<B>contributor Linda Eisenstein</B> <B><U><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>Linda at coolcleveland.com=20
<mailto:Linda at coolcleveland.com></U></FONT>=20
</B></FONT><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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