The Black Clown

The titular clown in The Black Clown, presented by the American Repertory Theater, is not juggling in a circus for your entertainment. From the early lines of the 1931 Langston Hughes poem that the musical work is based on—“I am the fool of the whole world. Laugh and push me down. Only in song and laughter I rise again—a black clown”—it’s clear that the main character’s humor shields him against the legacy of oppression faced by blacks in America. With Harvard grad and star Davóne Tines supported by an ensemble of 12, the show fuses gospel, jazz, opera and spiritual music to bring life to a man’s story of resilience. Get in on the joke when The Black Clown continues its world premiere run at the Loeb Drama Center through Sept. 23. / Nathan Tavares