By Jackie Demaline
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Make a joyful noise, for a King in swaddling clothes is born in Bethlehem.

When it's done right, there are few shows as roof-raisingly satisfying as Black Nativity, poet and playwright Langston Hughes' re-telling of the Nativity. It weaves mid-20th century sensibilities to the heartfelt story of the most holy of nights and ties everything together with fine gospel song.

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company celebrates the season by performing Black Nativity at Cincinnati Art Museum through today. It's not what it can and should be, but terrific performances by the lead singers provide a lot of the joyful noise so badly needed in this production.

The first act is the story of the Nativity, with the company in a rainbow of African dress by costumer Sushumna Ahmad-Means. A gospel concert follows intermission.

Christelle Lee adds a trill to a knockout performance of "Christ Is Born"; Cheryl Hammonds brings the audience's hands together for "Poor Little Jesus." Together they turn the museum auditorium into a place of worship with "Behold the Lamb."

Carlos Edwards is smooth fun as the leader of a quartet of jive-talkin' shepherds and anchors them in a fine way with a song. Later he and Tina Turnage lead a rousing "I Am God." David Mizell delivers a heartfelt "Sweet Little Jesus Boy."

Avery Corbin provides exactly the right tone - simultaneously reverent and hip - as Narrator.

The glass is certainly half full, and all the elements are in place to make it overflowing. What keeps Black Nativity from soaring is the production itself.

The auditorium at Cincinnati Art Museum isn't built for theater, and on opening night Thursday there were horrific problems with light and sound. While that's readily forgiven by an understanding and indulgent audience, it keeps the show from building any kind of momentum.

Most damaging to the soul of Black Nativity is that director Don Sherman doesn't know how to use a stage. Too much of his staging, which needs to be as fluid as Langston Hughes' poetic text, is static. He's either unwilling or unable to ask enough of his actors.

Choreographers Tara Hammonds and Renee Henry show a flair for dance .

Musical director Kamau Means does a fine job with a small combo (I wish Mr. Sherman had made the choice to bring drummer Jonathon Cephas on stage). He does some lively choir directing in the second act, but he doesn't seem to have worked with the children's choir.

Tickets are general admission, so if you're going to Black Nativity, get there early enough to sit in the front. I moved to the back for the second act, and whether bad harmonies or a bad room, the sound was distressingly fractured.

Black Nativity, 7 p.m. today, Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. $18. 241-6060.

E-mail jdemaline@enquirer.com