The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents the return of the show-stopping DRUMLine Live, at the Miller Theater (formerly the Merriam Theater) on Friday, February 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Created by the musical team behind 20th Century Fox’s hit movies Drumline and Drumline: A New Beat, the international touring sensation is back, hitting the stage with new music and choreography. Featuring riveting rhythms, bold beats, and ear-grabbing energy, DRUMLine Live is an exhilarating, family-friendly performance embodying the soulful, high-stepping style of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band experience.
“Brought back to Philadelphia by popular demand, DRUMLine Live brings the audience into the excitement, returning with an all-new production of original compositions and soul-stirring interpretations of top 40 hits,” said Frances Egler, Senior Director of Programming and
Presentations on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. “From soul and jazz, to hip-hop and gospel, the musicality and spirit of these performers makes every show entirely new.”
DRUMLine Live is a high-octane musical roller coaster ride that will hit every emotion in your body. Complete with dazzling choreography and explosive percussion, the show is a thrilling spectacle that pays homage to the show-style marching popularized at historically black colleges and universities. DRUMLine Live blends genres; this music, combined with a unique style of drumming, mesmerizing musicianship, and lively choreography, create a production never seen on stage before.
This year’s program opens with, AFRICA “The Drum,” and pays homage to ‘the Motherland’. From the horn lines to halftime, from jazz to hip-hop, from America to Asia, there would be no “Drumline” and no HBCU Marching Band without Africa. Each piece in the program represents different genres of music from soul to pop to hip hop and showcases the style of HBCU’s marching band experiences.
Featured performances include:
- American Soul – DRUMLine Live vocalists will perform legendary tunes from classic American Soul artists of the 1960s, 70s, and 80’, featuring the sounds of Tina Turner, the Supremes, the Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown.
- SNAP YOUR FINGERS – The pageantry of HBCU marching bands has been influenced by the sounds of jazz, ragtime and big band Snap your fingers as you watch our old school marching band perform classics popularized by musicians of the early 20th century.
- FUNKY FOOT WORK – The DRUMLine Live band will climax the “Halftime” dance routine with dazzling choreography and musical selections that highlight the best of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000’s Hip-Hop music, with a special tribute to the Queen Bee Beyoncé.
DRUMLine Live has paraded onto some of the biggest theatre stages in America, Japan, and Korea and has performed over 1,500 shows since 2009. The synchronized musical showcase comes alive on stage with a world-class cast of percussionists, musicians, and dancers. The 40- member cast of performers honed its unrivaled talent with years of training in marching band programs across the United States.
About Don P. Roberts – “Hollywood’s Band Director”:
Mr. Don P. Roberts, M.M.ED., served as the Executive Band Consultant for the Twentieth Century Fox hit movie Drumline, in which he was responsible for training the actors, writing the precision drills, rehearsing the band, etc. The movie received national and international acclaim, and in 2003 was nominated by the NAACP as “most outstanding motion picture” and was also nominated for an “American Choreography Award”. In 2018, Mr. Roberts was appointed as a consultant for Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance in Indio, California. The Marching Band performers behind Beyoncé were selected by Roberts from his company, DRUMLine Live Entertainment Group, and were also featured in the 2019 Netflix movie Homecoming. Roberts has served as a band consultant for various movies such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Dear Evan Hansen. He is a successful tenure as the Director, Playwright, and CEO of critically acclaimed theatrical production DRUMLine Live, which toured all around the U.S., Japan, and Korea from 2008-2020.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelculturalcampus.org. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.kimmelculturalcampus.org for more information.
DRUMLine Live
Miller Theater (formerly Merriam Theater) on the Kimmel Cultural Campus
February 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
