The Kimmel Center presents the tour of ‘DRUMLine Live’

Haven’t seen the Drumline film, starring Nick Cannon and Zoe Saldana? No matter. DRUMLine Live fills you in on HBCU marching-band culture and its connections with church traditions, popular music, and more. As it showcases the talents of its singers, dancers, and musicians, the show provides informative and entertaining background on African-American history and culture.

Never missing a note

It opens with a showy drum solo followed by a soaring marching-band treatment of Bill Withers with “Lovely Day” and company introductions provided by the host, Hollywood. I laughed out loud at a silly sequence that compared the drum major to a superhero whose baton wields special powers. The baton may not have the magic of Excalibur, but the major’s role comes with authority and a cape. He used these, and his whistle, to keep the band in line during a comic bit as they played “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. Even when DRUMLine aimed for laughs, it combined them with musical and physical feats. The horn players marched, swiveled their hips, stomped, shuffled, and never missed a note.

“Generations” was the highlight of the first act, providing a music-history lesson for those born after the Motown era, a tribute for those who miss it, and a toe-tapping trip through some great songs for all. These included “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Respect,” and “My Girl,” with company members performing as artists such as Ray Charles. During “Proud Mary,” they shimmied and kicked as energetically as Tina Turner as they sang. Costumes and wigs, like sequined gowns worthy of the Supremes, reinforced characters but also demonstrated the diverse sounds and styles of American soul.

Prince and the King of Pop

I anticipated DRUMLine Live’s tribute to Michael Jackson, but it didn’t make me dance in my seat as I had hoped. Maybe hits like “Smooth Criminal” and “Beat It” do not lend themselves to a marching-band medley, although the iconic zombie dance moves in the band’s choreography made for an effective “Thriller.” The second act’s tribute to Prince also contained songs that may surprise when performed this way, like “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Purple Rain,” and these were more cohesive and enthusiastic than the selections from the King of Pop.

Nailing the moves

The second act paired a theatrical drum battle with a section focused on dance. Two drummers faced off, balancing incredible stick skills with stunts. They tossed their drumsticks in the air, played with an arm behind the back, and kept the beat with three sticks. Next, the band twerked and body-rolled to Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly,” a fitting song for the Philadelphia crowd.

The show’s performance of jazz, ragtime, and big-band music was even more effective, featuring the evening’s most impressive dancing, with swing-style moves to tunes made famous by artists such as Duke Ellington and Nina Simone. Four couples danced steps inspired by the Charleston and the Lindy hop, then the women dancers somersaulted over the backs of their partners. Meanwhile, band members stepped on and off low boxes, intermittently striking poses to create an image of motion at various tempos.

Limiting women

Given the musical and athletic prowess of the company, it was disappointing to see the show limit its female dancers, introduced as the Dreamgirls. Their costumes and choreography tended to reflect the hypersexualization of women in today’s culture more than the rich and diverse history DRUMLine Live strives to capture. Showgirl poses and skimpy outfits suggested music videos instead of marching bands.

The legendary female performers represented in the show — Aretha, Diana, Nina, Tina — embodied a broader range of style and self-presentation than the Dreamgirls, but didn’t overcome a broader sense of objectification. In 2019, it seems backward to put so much emphasis on female performers’ sexiness, and to construct that sexiness so narrowly. Not surprisingly, the show didn’t treat the bodies of its male performers this way.

The packed audience at the Merriam — people of all different looks, genders, ages, and backgrounds — offered a welcome counterbalance. The crowd’s enthusiasm matched the DRUMLine Live energy for the most fun I’ve had at a performance yet this year.