Newark Public Schools’ officially celebrated Black History Month with an array of stunning theatrical performances presented as “A Black Broadway Review,” by the Aurway Repertory Theater.
Musical selections and dramatic scenes were delivered in reverence to the rich history of Black actors, singers, dancers, and writers that have contributed to Broadway stages throughout the past century. The joy, resilience, and faith of a community in the company’s rendition of “Mysterious Ways” from the musical “The Color Purple.” The hopes of two young couples were at the heart of selections from “Ragtime” and “Porgy and Bess.” The struggle between a father and son was depicted in a scene from August Wilson’s “Fences,” while a weary singer voiced her anger from being an exploited performer in a scene from “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” by the same author.
Before the show began in the Arts High School auditorium, the Arts High School Jazz Band entertained the crowd as they dined in the school’s cafeteria and door prizes were awarded through raffles. The evening was organized by the Superintendent’s Office under the leadership of Dr. Paula Perrone, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent.