Pitt's African Dance and Drum Ensemble Presents Black Nativity

PITTSBURGH—Black Nativity, a well-known and uplifting Gospel musical version of the Christmas story, will be performed Dec. 2-18 by the University of Pittsburgh's Shona Sharif African Dance and Drum Ensemble in the Seventh-Floor Auditorium of Pitt's Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland. Performances are held at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for seniors, children, and students with a valid ID. They are available at the door or through TicketMaster at 412-323-1919.

Langston Hughes, one of America's most important poets of the 20th century, created Black Nativity to tell the Christmas story from a Black point of view. Drawing on folk and popular songs, traditional seasonal music, and Biblical narratives, Hughes crafted an animated yet uniquely rich song-play, which first appeared on Broadway in the mid-l960s.

Pitt students and community performers make up the cast of Black Nativity. For more information, call 412-648-2276.

###

11/22/05/tmw