The Madame Walker Theatre Center winds down its 2011 season with two holiday shows and a partnership with the Asante Children’s Theatre.
On the heels of a performance by the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Naptown Nutcracker begins Dec. 2 with a sold-out student matinee at 11 a.m. and an evening performance at 7 p.m. Naptown Nutcracker, performed by Beyond the Pointe Dance Company, is choreographed by Nicole Hargro. Beyond the Pointe’ was founded in 2001 by artistic director Nicole Hargro.
“We consider it a high honor and distinction to be embraced by an institution with the legacy and continued importance of the Madame Walker Theatre Center,” said Hargo.
More show times for Naptown Nutcracker are available at www.walkertheatre.com. Tickets are $10 in advance.
On Dec. 9, audiences will once again fill the seats at the historic Walker for Asante’s Kwanzaa Community Choir Concert. The holiday concerts feature the Kwanzaa Community Choir and a dance production number to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Prep4Life participants will perform a story theater piece entitled “Three Little Pigs Move to the Avenue.”
Additionally, the theater’s artistic director Deborah Asante will perform a tribute to cultural anthropologist and writer Zora Neale Hurston. The Asante Children’s Theatre program is under the direction of artistic director, Asante and musical director Vincent Howard.
For the final show in the cultural arts season and sponsored by IUPUI is Black Nativity.
Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity has been performed at the Walker in the past but not for several years. This year’s production celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Black Nativity by taking this dynamic musical back to its original form.
Directed by Indianapolis native Sherri Brown- Webster, this moving gospel stage-play consists of a diverse range of actors and singers including seven local pastors.
“The city of Indianapolis will stand in awe of this powerful, unforgettable production. With a cast of 35, Black Nativity is sure to become Indianapolis’ newest holiday family tradition,” said Brown-Webster.
Black Nativity is the joyous account of an historic event that occurred 2,000 years ago. It’s a celebration that tells the original story of the Nativity in Scripture, verse, music and dance. Based on the Gospel of St. Luke, combined with the poetry of Langston Hughes, the song-play touches a special chord in the hearts of all. Tickets are on sale now at the Walker Theatre Center box office and on ticketmaster.com for $10 in advance.
For more information, visit www.walkertheatre.com.
