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| Kristie Moss/Scroll |
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The Hart Auditorium exploded with a blaze of color and sound Thursday night, April 6, in the high-energy Broadway theatrical spectacle Blast!
The stage ignited with the combination of live music and intense choreography in a celebration of music, dance and technical effects.
“This is by far the best show I’ve ever seen on this campus,” said Bradley Stokes, a sophomore from Blackfoot, Idaho. “It was absolutely amazing.”
Other attendees enthusiastically echoed Stokes’ remarks. “It was intense. That was pure entertainment,” said Richard Thompson, a junior from West Jordan, Utah.
The precise choreography and meticulous musical score did not come together overnight. “For this particular show, the Blast! performers practiced for five weeks, six days a week, 10 and a half hours each day,” said Wes Bullock, the Blast! conductor and performance supervisor.
Bullock said the practice pays off when the audience appreciates the performance. “The audience tonight was wildly enthusiastic,” Bullock said. “I would have to say among the top three best audiences ever.”
Many in attendance agreed that the Hart Auditorium had never felt so energetic. “It was amazing how involved the audience was,” said Ashley Benedict, a sophomore from Rexburg.
An audience favorite was the dueling snare drums in “Battery Battle.” The crowd erupted in a thunderous applause and a standing ovation after the two battling percussionists finished the energetic piece.
“The percussion duel was fabulous,” said Dale Shearer, an Idaho Falls resident. His wife, Linda, said she preferred the piece “Gee, Officer Krupke” from the musical West Side Story. “It was very clever,” she said. “Every one of the performers is multitalented in music and athletics.”
The performers in Blast! are trained musicians and talented athletes. “These are performers who started preparing for this when they were probably 6 or 7 years old, and they’re literally the only people on earth with the skills to perform this show,” said Blast! artistic director James Mason.
Additionally, “each of the performers has a ‘star quality’ that lets them communicate and connect to people while they’re playing their instruments. That’s a rarity,” Mason said.
There were 34 Blast! performers and a dozen people working backstage with the technical crew to bring the show to life, Bullock said.
For the BYU-Idaho technical team, the Blast! production created some unique challenges. The two-tiered stage and other technical aspects took 12 hours to assemble, Bullock said.
Blast! has its roots on athletic fields across the nation and in other outdoor displays of colorful pageantry. The performances require athleticism, musical talent, kaleidoscopic movement and showmanship, according to www.blasttheshow.com.
Blast! was the winner of the 2001 Tony Award for “Best Special Theatrical Event” and the 2001 Emmy Award for “Best Choreography.” Blast! has found success on Broadway, in London and across North America and has received widespread praise from critics for its unique treatment of live theater.
“’Blast!’ And a truer word was never spoken. A terrific good time … explosive entertainment. It is indeed a blast,” said Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune.
Those interested in attending another Blast! performance can visit the official Blast! Web site, www.blasttheshow.com, for tour dates and locations.
