DRUMline Live, Black Star Drum Line

$45-$25 (Get Social program 6 pm, $15).

press release:

Overture welcomes DRUMLine Live, the show-stopping attraction created by the music team behind 20th Century Fox’s hit movie, Drumline, for one night only on Wednesday, March 1, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. in Overture Hall, with Madison’s own Black Star Drum Line performing as an opening act.

“We’ve taken the excitement of an HBCU football game halftime show, increased the intensity by a thousand watts, and created a musical journey that will touch every emotion. DRUMLine Live is a high octane musical roller coaster ride that will keep the entire family cheering for more.”  Don P. Roberts, Creator and Director of DRUMLine Live.

DRUMLine Live has paraded onto some of the biggest theatre stages in America, Japan and Korea and performed more than 300 shows since 2009.  The stop in Madison, Wis., is part of the company’s Black History Month tour, which will be followed by additional performances in the United States.

Black Star Drum Line will perform as the opening number for the show. This Kids in the Rotunda favorite group has performed more than 600 times in Madison and the surrounding area since 2008, showcasing talented dancers, singers, rappers and beat boxers, along with local celebrity musicians and performers.

Complete with dazzling choreography and explosive percussion, DRUMLine Live is a thrilling spectacle that pays homage to the show-style marching popularized at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). HBCU bands have had a major effect on entertainment and culture.  Lifetime’s, “Bring It,” is one of their highest rated shows and has led to an upcoming reality television show about the Alabama State University Marching Band.  Additionally, almost every professional sports team now has an HBCU style drumline. 

With riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy, DRUMLine Live is a synchronized musical showcase of the legendary HBCU experience.  This experience comes alive with our world-class cast of percussionists, musicians and dancers. The 35 member cast of performers honed its unrivaled talent with years of training in marching band programs across the United States such as Florida A&M University, Tennessee State University and Southern University just to name a few.

 Incorporating original compositions and soul-stirring interpretations of top 40 hits, DRUMLine Live’s musical journey infuses colorful, choreographed routines with vibrant costumes and heavy doses of drum riffs and cadences. With musical highlights from hip-hop, American soul, gospel, jazz and other music genres, DRUMLine Live brings a unique style of drumming, mesmerizing musicianship, and lively choreography never seen on stage before.

Tickets, on sale now, start at just $25 and are available in person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street), online at overture.org or by phone at 608.258.4141. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more.

 For an additional $15, attendees can arrive prior to the show (6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2017) for Overture’s Get Social program to expand upon their experience and receive a discounted performance ticket. A Get Social ticket includes a drink, appetizers, drum line demos and drumming station with Black Star Drum Line and more. Overture’s Get Social is presented by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. More information is available at overture.org/getsocial.