Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...although the focus of the work is now more diffused and less obvious, this version of the piece comes with a far richer emotional core and more powerful dramatic stakes. It's quite the pleasurable surprise. One hopes that Maharaj will come back to Chicago and direct another show."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...None of this would work, however, without the boundless energy and talent of the 14 ensemble members. Flaunting a wide range of styles and backed by a fine three-piece band, the singers bring the show to another level as they each take their turn in the spotlight."
SouthtownStar
- Highly Recommended
"...The tale comes alive with traditional Christmas carols, such as "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "Silent Night," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Precious Lord," "This Little Light of Mine" "The Little Drummer Boy" and many more. But, you've never heard these songs sung with such infectious rhythms and such high-octane energy."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Putting a contemporary spin on the narrative, Maharaj has created two doppelganger couples: the biblical Mary and Joseph and a couple with the same names, having a baby, living in a Darfur refugee camp—doubling the impact of this preeminently Christian story validating poverty, suffering, and exclusion. The dancing, choreographed by Maharaj and Lisa Johnson Willingham, is more African influenced and better integrated. And the singing in this Congo Square Theatre Company production is as fabulous as ever."
EpochTimes
- Highly Recommended
"...This production is one for all audiences ( although I suggest children under 8 might be a bit young) with lots of great music including " He's Got The Whole World In His Hand", "The Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night", " Come All Ye Faithful" and 31 more. You are in for a real treat as these 14 cast members fill the Owen with the sounds of the season in a whole new way."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...Traditionally a pastiche of Christmas hymns, folk and gospel songs, and poetry, the Nativity story here gets put in a contemporary, global framework by Maharaj. It depicts a pregnant “Mary” and “Joseph” struggling in Sudan, and adds some of Hughes’s seminal poetry—a move that feels too deliberate. But the pure potency of the cast elevates Black Nativity beyond parable and even sentimental holiday celebration to a passionate expression of faith and joy worth experiencing."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"... I happened to catch one of the discounted Saturday matinees and the audience was into the show like a Sunday morning Baptist church meeting. The cast played off it and it enhanced the experience. If you see only one holiday show this year, this is the one. It is a prayer for peace on earth."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Recommended
"...The soul-stirring music and vocals soar, and Maharaj and co-choreographer Lisa Johnson Willingham set the stage ablaze with energy and an authentic African spirit. The cast of 14 is nothing short of breathtaking, which compensates for some of the evening's dramatic shortfalls."
