For those of you who go to college football games because you
love the half-time show, Royce Hall is hosting the perfect show for
you. For those of you who demand that the marching band return to
the sidelines as soon as you return from the concession stand, you
will find that this show gets redundant really quickly.
“Blast!,” which is being performed nightly at Royce
Hall through Sept. 1, is a musical ensemble spectacular in three
main elements: drums, brass and visual. This 2001 Tony Award-winner
for Best Special Theatrical Event tries to show a link between
color and music by melding choreography, music and lighting to give
the audience six vignettes of drum-songs, brass-numbers and drill
routines.
The stage is open with a back wall designed as a two-story wall
of drummers. Three cubes containing drum sets are placed on top of
another three cubes, each lit a different color. The brass section
wears dark jumpsuits that lend a German-industrial appearance, and
the flag teams run around in colorful dance outfits looking like
silly musical performers.
When the three groups work in concert, their precision is
actually quite impressive. However, the lack of any bond between
the performers and the audience gives the groups a distant, plastic
image. The show, also currently being performed in a 30-minute
version at Disneyland, is a perfect fit for the Magic Kingdom, with
the performers’ parade-ready smiles permanently affixed to
their faces.
Another problem with the production is that the performers move
in the exaggerated style of old musical theater, making them seem
antiquated, thus falling short of the innovative, modern appeal
that they are going for.
The cast doesn’t speak during the two-act show, but if it
did, it would say, “I’m in a Broadway musical, so I run
like Martin Short with a ferret in his trousers.”
Although the routines became repetitive and annoyingly noisy,
the featured solos offered brief glimpses of a few
performers’ individual abilities. However, the problems with
the solos mirrored those of the overall production ““ while
loud and exciting, they lacked originality and technical skill.
They were spectacles, and only marginally better than street
performers on the Santa Monica Promenade and the Venice Beach
Boardwalk.
While there are occasional moments of humor and an impressive
musical transition, there is a distressing lack of memorable
moments. “Blast!’s” disposable saccharine fanfare
is better suited for a Las Vegas showroom or family amusement
park.
The performers are all recent and former college marching band
members between the ages of 21 and 33, and they definitely project
a high level of enthusiasm and dedication. According to
“Blast!’s” visual ensemble leader Deborah
Barrington, the group trained 12 to 16 hours a day for three months
in preparation for the production.
In spite of the performers’ zeal and hard work, after
seeing “Blast!” it becomes painfully obvious why the
football game lasts three hours and the half-time show is limited
to a mere 15 minutes.
For tickets, visit the Central Ticket Office, the Royce Hall box
office or call (213) 365-3500. Ticket prices range from $42-$67,
with a limited number of $22 student discount tickets.