The experience of watching an elaborate half-time show during a football game at Central State, Wilberforce or any other Historically Black College or University will come to life when “Drumline Live” rolls through Ohio in February.

By CHRIS BOURNEA
Staff Writer

The experience of watching an elaborate half-time show during a football game at Central State, Wilberforce or any other Historically Black College or University will come to life when “Drumline Live” rolls through Ohio in February.

The show will play the Palace Theatre in Columbus on Feb. 1, the Templeton-Blackburn Auditorium in Athens on Feb. 2, the Playhouse Square in Cleveland on Feb. 3 and the Toledo Cultural Arts Center on Feb. 9.

“Drumline Live” brings the HBCU experience to the theatrical stage for the first time.

“We wanted to show what it’s like to be at an HBCU game,” said Reggie Brayon, company manager for “Drumline Live,” in an exclusive interview with CP2.

“Drumline Live” features show-stopping moves by African-American percussionists who form the Drumline and athletic feats by “steppers.”

To find performers who were capable of these feats, “we held auditions in Atlanta, Tallahassee, Fla.,” and other cities around the country, Brayon said. “They submitted videos through the Internet and YouTube and we chose some of them that way.”

Some audience members may assume that “Drumline Live” is a stage version of the hit 2002 movie “Drumline,” starring Nick Cannon. While the show isn’t directly based on the movie, it incorporates the music and showmanship that made the movie so popular.

“There’s the anticipation that (audience members are) going to see the movie or some form of the movie,” Brayon said. “It’s a music revue using marching bands. People think they’re just going to see drums, but there’s a lot more than drums.”

“Drumline Live” features a combination of original compositions and contemporary and “old school” R&B and hip hop. Music includes classics by Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power alongside current hip hop and R&B hits.

“We touch every genre of music. We do hip hop, we do gospel,” Brayon said. “Music is universal. Everybody loves music.”

The HBCU marching band tradition is rooted in the African-American experience, but “Drumline Live” has a universal appeal that has attracted audiences from all walks of life, Brayon said.

“We did Japan. Obviously, they don’t know anything about HBCUs,” he said. “A lot of times our audiences are 80 to 90 percent white. A lot of times it’s curiosity. We know the movie had such appeal and people would love to see this live.”

And unlike some theatrical productions, where the audience is expected to sit quietly in their seats while the show unfolds, “Drumline Live” is an interactive experience.

“We’re in the aisles with a New Orleans-style type of parade. It’s a lot of energy. It’s a lot of fun,” Brayon said. “There’s a lot of audience participation. We even

bring people onstage. We want people to have fun.”