Luther Burbank Center puts annual Posada Navideña online

It’s a key part of the Nativity story: Jesus Christ was born in manger in a stable because when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and sought shelter, there was no room at the inn.

That search for a place to spend the night is the basis of the 400-year-old Mexican tradition of Posada Navideña, marked by processions reenacting the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph.

Since 2007, Santa Rosa’s Luther Burbank Center for the Arts has hosted an annual Posada Navideña stage show, with live musicians moving through the audience, followed by a chance for audience members to participate in their own procession through the center.

This year, with coronavirus pandemic protocols in place, preventing large public gatherings and closing venues, the center’s Posada Navideña celebration will take on a new life as a free online presentation.

This year’s bilingual performance was recorded Nov. 15 at Luther Burbank Center without an audience. The cast included eight dancers and three musicians from Sacramento’s Calidanza Dance Company, wearing colorful masks as part of their costumes.

With no audience to weave through, and various camera angles to consider, the musicians’ movements were kept to the stage, said Steven Valencia, artistic director of Calidanza.

“Christmas is heavily celebrated in Mexico. Different regions have different traditions,” he said. “We bring in the various regional traditions of Mexico.”

The production draws on customs from Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Veracruz and elsewhere, he said.

“The Santa Rosa audience has always been one of our favorites to perform for. They’re always so lively and responsive,” said Valencia, who has worked with the Luther Burbank Center on and off over the past 14 years.

This time, the performers won’t be able to hear and see an audience, but the connection will still be there, he said.

The show will be available for viewing for 48 hours, starting at 7 p.m. Dec. 11. Watch here.

“We will put the traditional Posada song on the screen for people to join in from their homes,” said Sari Feinstein, Luther Burbank Center programming manager.

LBC’s Mariachi Ensemble, part of a year-round program serving 70 local students, will appear in a filmed segment at the end of the Calidanza performance. The ensemble, led by Jose Soto, also will be featured on the center’s weekly “Luther Locals” online program at 5 p.m. Dec. 11, before the Posada Navideña concert. Check lutherburbankcenter.org to watch.

The Luther Burbank Center’s Posada Navideña is sponsored by the Rodney Strong Vineyards Dance Series with support from the center’s community partner, Los Cien, the county's largest Latino leadership group.

“We at the center have a relationship with the local Latino community that has been cultivated over the years,” Feinstein said. “We strive to make the center a place for all. We make sure to have traditional events like Posada.

“We could not let 2020 go by without the amazing holiday spirit that our Posada brings each year to Sonoma County,” she added. “This is our 14th Annual Posada Navideña, and we look forward to channeling the excitement of Christmas in Mexico into your own homes this year.”

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.