MemAud stage to 'Blast!' color, music, dance
By Susannah Elliott, Entertainment Editor
October 26, 2005 | 10:15 a.m.
Unlike closely related musical events like “STOMP” and “Riverdance,” “Blast!” focuses more on music performance than choreography. It was originally formed from Star of Indiana, the 1991 Drum Corps International (DCI) World Champion.
DCI is considered the example for high school and university marching bands all over the world. The percussion, brass and color guard groups constantly rehearse for eight weeks to perfect their marching precision and musicianship. Their resulting 11-minute performances always leave their audiences astonished. The corps performs throughout the nation until its last competition, when each corps is judged, and one champion emerges.
“Blast!” is dramatic showmanship and the spirit of DCI combined with the choreography of musical theater. James Mason, a former DCI instructor, was one of the show’s original creators.
“These are performers who started preparing for this when they were probably six or seven years old, and they’re literally the only people on earth with the skills to perform this show,” Mason said on the show’s Web site. “They’re finely tuned athletes as well as exceptionally talented musicians.”
Throughout the show, the audience experiences the entire color spectrum with music ranging from techno to classical genres. Each of the 15 numbers has its own color theme. In color-coordinated costumes, musicians perform in unique positions from being suspended in air to riding a unicycle. The brilliant light effects and unique stunts make “Blast!” look like a Broadway circus.
The show consists of two acts, the first with eight musical pieces and the second with seven. The production takes the audience on an explosive musical and visual journey from the opening “Bolero” to the quick, jaw-dropping “Malaguena.” In between are songs like “Gee Officer Krupke” from West Side Story and Aaron Copland’s version of “Simple Gifts.” Because of the great extravagance of “Blast” and its performers’ impeccable timing, it is often compared to the musical shows at Disney theme parks.
The event is a stepping stone for American productions. “For years, musicians have been trapped in the pit and now they have crawled onto the stage,” Mason said. “Throwing away the stands and chairs, they now act, leap and lunge, creating a new musical and theatrical experience.”
Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium hosts this Tony Award-winning performance on Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available but are selling quickly. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (740) 593-1780 or at the MemAud ticket office from noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays and during the hour prior to the performance.
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For more information about “Blast!” visit the Official Web site at: http://www.blasttheshow.com/
For tickets visit the MemAud ticket office Web site at http://www.ohiou.edu/publicoccasions/tickets/.