DRUMLine Storms Benedum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today's date: February 7, 2013
Contact: Diana Roth, (412) 471-8717; roth@trustarts.org

 The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents
DRUMLine Live
Friday, February 26, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., Benedum Center

Pittsburgh, PA- The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to present an explosive performance from DRUMLine Live on February 26, 2013 at the Benedum Center.  Continuing its fourth US tour, DRUMLine Live’s energetic cast has honed its precision and energy with years of training in marching band programs across the southern United States.

This versatile group of musicians and dancers combines dramatic lighting, intricate choreography and vibrant effects to the stage in an explosive and energetic performance.  Experienced in a wide range of music and dance, DRUMLine Live takes on contemporary hip hop, R&B, classic Motown tunes, and the traditional marching band brass sounds in its musically diverse shows.

The Tennessee Journal reviewed the performance, raving: “The spectacle did not disappoint as the cast dazzled the audience with fancy footwork, comedic scuffles and a blast of marching band tradition…By the end of the hair-raising gospel routine, members of the band were playing in the aisles and the entire audience was brought to their feet…Audience members who thought the stage would be the last place to see the cast were surprised when every cast member…flooded the aisles to dance out to the lobby.”

DRUMLine Live’s diverse group of performers brings an explosive energy and athleticism to an eclectic mix of sounds to create a unique, stage marching band performance. This performance is a part of the 2012-2013 Trust Presents series, sponsored by Cohen and Grigsby.

Tickets start at $28 for DRUMLine Live on February 26, 2013 at 7:30 p.m., at the Benedum Center may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more tickets at special discounted rates, please call (412) 471-6930.

About DRUMLine Live
DRUMLine Live traces its heritage back to the Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU), institutions of higher learning established before 1964 to serve the African American community. The drum line tradition began over fifty years ago at Florida A&M University, which is considered the nation’s preeminent black college marching band school. HBCU marching bands began as support for college football teams subsequently developed into a sport of their own, featuring characteristic high stepping, funky dance rhythms, and diverse musical repertoire.  HBCU marching performances culminated in large-scale competitions, drawing more than 60,000 fans, and, recently, with films such as Drumline, backed by a flurry of high profile marching band appearances, this tradition has caught the nation’s attention.

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BLAST! A Celebration of Movement and Music at Heinz Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date: September 23, 2011

BLAST! A Celebration of Movement and Music

Heinz Hall

October 6 through 9, 2011

Taking the world by storm with triumphant successes in London, on Broadway, across North America and Japan BLAST!, winner of the 2001 Tony Award for “Best Special Theatrical Event,” and the 2001 Emmy Award for “Best Choreography,” will play Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from October 6 through 9, 2011. This tour is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

Tickets ($20-$60) are available by calling (412) 392-4900, visiting the Box Office at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue) or online at www.pgharts.org. For more information about the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh 2011-2012 subscription series, please call (412) 456-1390. Groups of 10 or more may call 412-392-4819.

Astounding audiences around the globe repeatedly since the Emmy® winning PBS performance and the Tony® winning Broadway performances, Blast! is back. Showgoers quickly become fans who return to enjoy and celebrate Blast! over and over again. Along with this ever-growing core following, Blast! attracts to it’s performances newer and newer generations of devotees every time it takes the stage. An event for all ages, Blast! also defies language barriers by performing crowd thrilling instrumental material, making it the perfect touring production.

BLAST!, a celebration of movement and music, almost defies description -- and it has left critics everywhere surprised and delighted. Howard Kissel of the New York Daily News says: “What a cast, what a ‘Blast!’ An exhilarating evening.” Bruce McCabe of the Boston Globe says, “BLAST! doesn’t falter while bridging the categories of classical, blues, jazz, rock n roll, and techno-pop music. BLAST! stands, blows, pounds, marches, and whirls with panache. It sent the full house into repeated bursts of cheering and applause [with] the thrill of seeing sheer virtuosity in a different kind of art form. BLAST! is entertainment of a high order.” And Kevin Nance of The Tennessean raves, “I was helpless in the path of this visual and aural juggernaut, which far outdoes [Stomp and Riverdance] with youthful energy and cocky panache. …I had an absolutely an absolutely marvelous time.”

Born on athletic fields across the nation, BLAST! is a novel art form evolved from the showmanship of outdoor pageantry. A unique experience, BLAST! explodes the genre with the artistry of the theatre. BLAST! is musical spectacle; it is music in motion. Described by Richard Christiansen of the, Chicago Tribune, “‘Blast!’ And a truer word was never spoken. A terrific good time … explosive entertainment. It is indeed a blast.”

BLAST! evolved from the drum corps Star of Indiana, which was founded in 1984 in Bloomington, Indiana, by businessman Bill Cook to benefit young people in music education. The Artistic Director James Mason, is a lifelong veteran of drum and bugle corps and other musical activities. In its initial year, Star of Indiana became the first corps ever to place among the top ten corps at the prestigious Drum Corps International World Championships. Star of Indiana improved each year until it became the World Champion in 1991. Competing against other organizations from the United States, Japan, Canada and Europe, Star’s performances revolutionized the world of drum corps, bringing an ever more sophisticated sense of musicianship, exciting showmanship, and dynamic choreography to this wonderful genre. In 1993, Mr. Mason began shaping the evolution of Star of Indiana from a competitive drum corps into a theatrical show which brings the power, passion and precision of outdoor pageantry to the stage in a musical performance now known as BLAST!

BLAST! on tour consists of 35 members, drawn from the world of outdoor pageantry all across North America. There are over 40 world titles held by BLAST! cast members who comprise three performing sections – the brass, percussion and visual ensembles. The brass instruments are pitched in the standard multi-keys. The percussion section includes drums, mallet instruments and electronic keyboards. The visual element enhances the show by spinning and tossing unusual implements along with the traditional sabers and colorful flags in perfectly synchronized, ballet-like drill.

The physical and musical demands of the production require that the performers be highly trained athletes who are also world-class musicians. Months of intense training prepare the cast. Rehearsing through heat, cold, dust and rain, they produce thrilling performances where athleticism, musical talent, kaleidoscopic movement, and showmanship merge into an art form that is both compelling and entertaining, or in the words of Richard Quzounian of The Toronto Star, “Get your tickets now! BLAST! is nothing short of breathtaking; a free-wheeling fusion of then and now, [it] dazzles the eye, thrills the ear and stirs the spirit. A sure-fire hit.”

BLAST! is produced and booked by Prather Entertainment Group. PBS, the Public Broadcast Service, supports BLAST! with a one hour special program. The official BLAST! cast recording is available on RCA Victor. For further information on BLAST! and the 2011 North American tour, visit www.blasttheshow.com
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Precision Marching Band DRUMLine Live Back by Popular Demand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Media Contact:

Veronica Corpuz
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents

DRUMLine Live

High stepping, precision marching band, back by popular demand

Tuesday, February 15, 2011, at 7:30 p.m., Benedum Center

Pittsburgh, PA: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents DRUMLine Live featuring a 40-member, high-energy marching band cast of students and alumni (one drum major, five dancers, one host and 33 wind and percussionists) from the nation’s top historically black colleges and universities and created by musical director Don P. Roberts. “It’s a marching band extravaganza that parades out of the football stadium onto the stage with explosive percussion, resounding brass and dazzling choreography” (The Morning Call).

Watch as the “Lines” battle it out in a collaboration of explosive, precision style marching, hip-hop and R&B routines for one performance only on Tuesday, February 15, 2011,at 7:30 p.m., at the Benedum Center. Cohen & Grigsby is the season sponsor of the Trust Presents 2010-11 series. Tickets ($20.75, $27.75, $38.75, $45.75) can be purchased online at pgharts.org, by telephone 412-456-6666 or in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, in the Cultural District, Pittsburgh, PA. Groups of 10 or more, call 412-471-6930.

DRUMLine Live combines over 50 years of tradition and precision marching band style with modern high stepping, funky dance rhythms, and exciting musical repertoire ranging from classical to Top 40. The showdown of rhythm and speed between the "Lines" will rock audiences with its precision and pulsing force. Along with explosive choreography and incredible feats of athleticism from the “steppers” and dancers, DRUMLine Live creates an exciting stage experience that showcases how this type of marching is the most upbeat, exciting style of marching today. "DRUMLINE LIVE puts the black marching band tradition on the theatrical stage -- effectively creating something that could very well out-stomp ‘Stomp’ and out-blast ‘Blast.’” —Springfield News Sun

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support. The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the Trust Presents series, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, Pittsburgh Dance Council, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater and Children’s Festival, CD Live, JazzLive, First Night Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, among other Cultural District and arts events. The Trust owns Theater Square and the Cabaret at Theater Square; James E. Rohr Building & Arts Education Center; the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; Byham, O’Reilly, and Harris Theaters; visual arts galleries: Wood Street Galleries, at 601 Wood Street; SPACE, at 812 Liberty Avenue and 937 Liberty: a multipurpose performance and exhibit space, among other downtown arts facilities. www.pgharts.org
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