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Karen Clark-Green to premiere Christmas musical at Playhouse A NEW ‘NATIVITY’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
In her new musical, “Nativity, the Hope,” Karen Clark-Green shows what Christmas could be like in the near future.
It’s a sight that is already coming into view.
The musical, which will get its world premiere beginning Friday at the Youngstown Playhouse, is set in the year 2026.
“It shows where we will be if we do not change,” said Clark-Green. “It’s a high-tech world and a hopeless society. But they begin to remember the Christmas story.”
The playwright, who is also directing, said the musical offers a ray of hope and inspiration.
“Think of how we celebrate Christmas now,” she said. “It is commercial, it is Black Friday, but it is not family oriented. [In her new musical,] It’s 2026, and it’s now called X-mas and it is about money, fashion and everything except what some of us know it’s about.”
Clark-Green’s musical is centered around one family that is typical of all others.
“The new generation thinks the Christmas story is a myth, just a story,” she said. “The grandparents come to visit the family. The parents work for the government, so they are very politically correct. When the kids ask if Grandma can share the Christmas story, the father says no, but she is feisty and does anyway. The Christmas story comes to life on stage.”
To illustrate how turned-around the society has become, friends of the children hear about what’s going on and threaten to report the family to the authorities.
Clark-Green is a longtime theater professional and an active playwright, actor and drama coach, and a former opera singer. She hails from Warren, where she began acting as a preteen with the Kenley Players at Packard Music Hall. These days, she splits her time between Los Angeles and Altanta, where she is working on the film “Connected.”
Clark-Green has written six plays, all of which have been produced. These include “Nativity,” which was staged at Youngstown State University Theater in the early 2000s.
The playwright stressed that her new musical is completely new and different, and nothing at all like the “Nativity” play at YSU.
The musical is choreographed by Clark-Green’s son, Joshua William Green, who is a veteran of the local stage. Jessica Lauren Spurlock is a contributing choreographer, along with Ruth Balestra, Roman Sheffield-Sheetz and Clark-Green.
All of the music was written by Green Family Dynasty, which is Green and her children, with additional contributions by Mark T. Jackson, who is also the music director.
The inspirational musical makes use of a custom-built three-level set. Dance is also a major component, and several types and styles are employed.
“There is a lot of great music and sung by amazing voices,” said Clark-Green. “Classical, rap, pop, country. But it is futuristic and universal sounding, because in the future, we have become more and more of one thought.”
The new musical boasts a very large staff. The principal roles are played by Dru Scott, Joshua William Green, Kiara A. Jones, Machonell Johnson, Annalese Samuel, Terre Snead, Darlene Griffin, James Ferguson, Andria Williams, Mark Samuel, William Jenkins, Destiny Hughes, Roman Sheffield-Sheetz, Andre Ward, Arielle T. Green, Frank Rupert, Naielee Balestra, Lois Thornton and Issiah Carter.
Other members are Mikayla Moore, Kaitlynn Kurdziel, Maddy Ewing, Sarah Terlecki, Darian Brogdon, Jacob Butler, Timara Harrison, Bradley Banks, Steve Halas, Phillip Bannarn, LaNae Ferguson, Trinity Watson, Mia Bordonaro, Lisha Salter, Tanisha Blocker-Perry, Jacinda Madison, Brayden Bryant, Ridley Clark, Desiree Woodland, Inayrish Garcia, Carol D. Little and Clark-Green.