The RiverPark Center is kicking off its holiday season with Drumline Live Holiday Spectacular on Nov. 16 at 7p.m.
Drumline Live is an international tour based on the Historical Black College and University (HBCU) marching band.
The Holiday Spectacular will feature 30 performers with numerous costume changes and will cover the celebrations of the season, including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
“This show is very different than the one Lawrence Welk or Bing Crosby would do,” said Don Roberts, Holiday Spectacular artistic director.
Roberts, who is also the President and CEO of Drumline Live and director of the original Drumline Live show, said that he likes to go as far as he can in creating shows, and when he thought about a holiday show three years ago, he decided to include all celebrations.
“If you can imagine Santa Claus in a drum major suit marching…that’s what Drumline Live is,” Roberts said.
The show opens with African drumming and shares the stories of Kawanza with the audience. Then, it moves to Hanukkah and describes how the holiday is celebrated.
Christmas music includes Motown music from Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson when he was with the Jackson 5, and it ends with an original ‘Little Drummer Boy,” HBCU-style.
“It’s the perfect show,” Roberts said. “If you think ‘if I’ve seen one, I’ve seen them all,’ I can guarantee you haven’t seen this one.”
Tickets range in price from $20 to $40 and are available here or by calling the RiverPark box office at 270-687-2770.
